The Inheritance
by shadowycat
Summary: Remus Lupin is left a surprising and unexpected inheritance.  What's even more surprising is that he has to share it with Severus Snape.  Post-War, AU, Slash, First Person POV, OCs, complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: Told from Remus Lupin's POV  
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**Chapter One: A Most Unusual Will**

One day in late November, about a year and a half after the war had ended, I found myself wandering down a narrow alley reading the signs on the worn brick buildings to either side of me. I'd never ventured into this off-shoot of Diagon Alley before, and I wanted to be sure I ended up at the right place. The twisted little lane was full of modest shops and small family businesses, along with the occasional law office. Some of which had apparently been in business since before the Ministry of Magic was founded if the signs on their doors were to be believed.

After walking a third of its length, I stopped and squinted at a small brass plaque that seemed promising. Deciphering the spidery font etched into its smudged and tarnished surface wasn't easy, but it seemed to indicate that I was standing in front of the offices of Stump, Starrett and Skyrm, Warlocks of Law, which meant I'd reached my destination.

The peeling paint on the plain black door came as a bit of a surprise. Based on the very fancy looking letter I'd recently received, I'd expected something a bit grander, and this building with its dull brick facade and sad looking doorway had clearly seen better days. Of course, I'd seen better days myself so I really had no right be critical.

Climbing the worn steps, I entered the building and found myself in a small unadorned office filled with wooden filing cabinets and rather flimsy looking bookcases. Behind a single, unimposing desk sat a sharp eyed clerk who rose to greet me.

"May I help you?" the clerk asked politely, though the look on his face as he took note of my ragged robes and well worn boots made it quite clear that he sincerely doubted he'd receive a positive reply.

The clerk was in for a surprise. Pulling a large piece of cream coloured parchment from my pocket, I smiled my most sincere smile in return. "Yes. I'm here to see Mr Skyrm," I said.

The clerk eyed the parchment with evident recognition and his cool manner thawed a few degrees. "I see. Do you have an appointment Mr...?"

"Lupin," I filled in the obvious blank. "My name is Remus J. Lupin, and as a matter of fact, I do have an appointment. I got this letter from Mr Skyrm informing me that I've received some sort of inheritance and asking me to call here at three o'clock this afternoon to discuss it."

The clerk extended his hand and I gave him the stiff piece of parchment that I'd received just that morning by owl. He checked the letter over quickly, obviously recognizing it. When he looked up, his eyes were more wary but his demeanour became a trifle warmer.

"Mr Skyrm is running a bit behind schedule I'm afraid and is still with a client, but I'm sure he'll be free shortly, Mr Lupin. If you'd be willing to have a seat over there by the window, I'll ring for tea. I'm sure the wait won't be a long one."

"Could I possibly see Mr Stump or Mr Starrett, if Mr Skyrm is occupied?" I asked. Not that I particularly minded waiting, but I was curious about the other names on the plaque. The office didn't look large enough to accommodate very many people.

The clerk shook his head and tightened his lips. "Mr Stump and Mr Starrett are deceased," he replied in a clipped tone. "Mr Skyrm is the sole remaining partner in the firm. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until he's free to conduct your business."

"I see. All right," I agreed amiably. Now that my curiosity was satisfied, I was perfectly willing to wait. I really had nothing else to do, and the thought of a cup of hot tea and maybe a biscuit or two was quite appealing after my long, chilly walk.

With a brisk nod, the clerk returned my letter and ushered me over to a corner of the room filled with chairs covered in a thick dark material that looked like dragon-hide but was probably a cheaper synthetic since it'd cracked along the edges in an unsightly manner. There he left me to choose a seat while a house-elf was summoned and refreshments were ordered.

The service was extremely efficient. I'd done little more than sit down and cross my legs before a house-elf was setting a tray on a nearby table and inquiring whether I wished milk with my tea. It'd been a long time since I was the recipient of such prompt and courteous service, and I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I settled in quite happily with a cup and a couple of chocolate digestives and prepared to pass a contentedly quiet few minutes while awaiting my audience with Mr Skyrm, Warlock of Law.

Receiving a letter promising me an inheritance had been quite a surprise, and I still didn't know what to make of it. I'd never heard of Audra Cordelia Sparling, and I couldn't for the life of me understand why she'd have left any sort of bequest to me. How would she even know I existed?

Yes, I'd fought in the war, and as a participant on the winning side, I'd been honoured along with everyone else with a handshake and my name on a plaque, but I was a minor player, just one of many. I certainly hadn't received either the accolades or the press coverage that others had. The whole idea of this sudden inheritance struck me as exceedingly odd and highly unlikely. The only thing I could think of was that I'd been mistaken for someone else with a similar name, and the truth would come to light quite quickly once I finally spoke to this Mr Skyrm.

After a polite apology, I'd no doubt be sent on my way, none the worse for spending some time relaxing in a warm, comfortable room on a cold afternoon. Though I had to admit, if somehow it didn't turn out to be a mistake and this unknown woman had indeed left me some money, it would be most welcome. Things hadn't really gone all that well for me since the end of the war. I was thrilled to survive, of course, and quite hopeful for a better future with Voldemort and his Death Eaters finally gone, but that hoped for improvement in my circumstances was rather long in coming.

I'd naively thought that once Kingsley Shacklebolt became Minister for Magic, the anti-werewolf employment laws would be repealed quite quickly. Back when he and I were fighting side by side in the Order, he always spoke of the existence of those laws as a travesty. But the push and pull of politics can change perspectives and priorities.

As an Auror, Kingsley was free to say what he thought and to hold his own opinions on many different subjects. Once he became Minister, however, his own personal feelings and desires usually had to take a back seat to those of the people he now represented. And those people, by and large, were still afraid, still angry and more distrustful than ever of anything or anyone that was viewed as being tainted by dark magic, including, unfortunately for me, werewolves.

As I was finishing off a third biscuit and a second cup of tea, the outside door opened and a familiar figure in swirling robes stalked in to stand imperiously in front of the prim little clerk's desk. I hadn't seen very much of Severus Snape since the end of the war, but I knew that fortune had, at long last, come to smile fondly on the man, and the impressive change in his circumstances was favourably reflected in his current appearance. Gone were the lank, greasy locks, the cheap black robes, and the perpetually sullen expression of the past.

Today the man wore expensive, well-tailored robes in a becoming shade of hunter green, edged with black and cream. His shoulder length hair shown with deep blue highlights, and his face, once deeply etched with lines of tension and stress, now wore a more comfortable and self-satisfied expression on its distinctive features. In short, Severus looked terrific, and I found myself smiling in admiration as I ate my biscuit and waited to see what brought such a high ranking member of the Ministry to this out of the way little law office.

To my deep regret, Severus and I didn't move in the same circles anymore, far from it actually. So his presence here at the same time as myself seemed an odd coincidence, and I've always been a trifle wary of odd coincidences. In my experience, true coincidences were fairly rare things.

As I watched Severus interact with the clerk, I decided that there must be some sort of privacy spell over the clerk's domain because although I could see Severus engaging in conversation with the young man at the desk, and could hear the soft murmur of their voices, I couldn't make out any specific words. Considering that my hearing was far keener than that of normal humans, a privacy spell seemed the only explanation for my failure to pick up their conversation from such a short distance away.

I sat up a bit straighter in my chair when Severus presented a parchment that looked identical to the one currently residing in my pocket. Apparently I was right to be suspicious of coincidences. A few more words were exchanged, and then the clerk gestured toward the corner of the room where I sat. Severus glanced in my direction and his eyes narrowed suspiciously when his gaze fell on me. I had to consciously suppress an impulse to straighten my robe and run a hand through my hair. Neither gesture would truly make any difference in my appearance and would only betray my nervousness at seeing Severus again.

With a final nod to the clerk, Severus swept around the desk and crossed the room to come to a stop a couple of feet away from where I sat, smiling up at him.

"What the hell are you doing here, Lupin?" was his cheery greeting.

I suppressed a sigh. Once, I'd dearly hoped that Severus and I could find a way to put the differences of our past behind us and could face the future, if not as friends, then at least as colleagues and comrades who'd fought a war on the same side and lived to tell about it. But time and time again, it seemed that all we ever managed to achieve were minor temporary truces interspersed with periods of hostility and distrust- at least on Severus's part. At this point, I no longer truly expected anything else, though a part of me still longed for more and probably always would.

"It's nice to see you, too, Severus," I replied politely, having decided to ignore his rudeness in hopes of having some sort of civil conversation. "You're looking well. I'm here on business." I held up my parchment. "I received this letter..."

Before I could elaborate further, Severus snatched the parchment from my hand and began to read it. As he read through the letter, his expression changed from one of suspicion to one of puzzlement. Lowering the letter, he looked down at me in surprise and said, "Why would my great aunt Audra leave anything to you?"

Now it was my turn to be surprised. "Audra Cordelia Sparling was your aunt?" That was a twist I certainly never expected. How interesting.

"Great aunt." He corrected pointedly. "She was my grandmother's sister. I haven't seen her since I was a child and only once then."

"So you're here about her will, too. That makes sense if she was a relative," I said.

"Yes, it does, but it still doesn't answer the question of why she'd leave anything to you. Surely you didn't know her?" Suspicion glinted in Severus's eye.

I shook my head. "No, to my knowledge we'd never met."

"Didn't you think it was odd when you received this letter promising you an inheritance? Or are you so hard up that you'd jump at even the faintest possibility of money?" Severus's disdainful gaze raked over my shabby clothes as he tossed the letter back to me. I couldn't blame him. I had no illusions about how I looked.

"Of course I thought it was odd," I agreed. "But just because it didn't make sense to me was no reason not to come and check into it. As you say, I could use the money. Look, it'll probably turn out to be a mistake. Perhaps this Warlock got my name mixed up with someone else's, but if he did, it's no great problem for me. All I'm out is an hour or so of my time, and I've been well compensated for that with some lovely hot tea and a few crisp biscuits."

I held out the plate on which two biscuits remained. "Would you like one? They're quite tasty."

Severus looked down at the biscuit plate dismissively. "No, thank you."

I shrugged and took another myself before replacing the plate on the small table. His loss, they really were very good. "Suit yourself. You might as well have a seat while you're waiting though. The clerk didn't seem to know how long Mr Skyrm would be."

Seating himself on the edge of one of the remaining chairs, Severus redirected his gaze at the door to Mr Skyrm's office. "He'd better not take too long, my time is valuable, and a cup of weak tea and a few biscuits don't come close to adequately compensating me for the waste of it."

Well, that certainly put me in my place, though I didn't bother to argue the point. There was little doubt that a Ministry official's time was more valuable than that of an unemployed werewolf. Instead, I took another bite of my biscuit and washed it down with tea. I figured I might as well get the most from my compensation, however meagre and unworthy it appeared to my companion.

"How are things at the Ministry? I hear you work there now," I said after a pause, hoping to start a conversation.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, I now hold a position of some importance at the Ministry." There was a note of smug satisfaction in Severus's tone.

"Congratulations," I said quite sincerely. Although I doubted that he'd believe me if I said so, I was genuinely happy to see him gain some recognition and success. He'd more than earned it.

He cast a glance at me and frowned darkly. "What no comment about how my appointment isn't deserved?"

"Of course not! I'm sure your appointment is very well deserved. Kingsley isn't in the habit of handing out Ministry jobs to those who don't deserve them," I said firmly.

Momentarily mollified, Severus pointedly turned away and went back to staring a hole in Mr Skyrm's office door. I sat back in my chair and munched somewhat disconsolately on my biscuit. At least I could look at him while I waited, even if civil conversation had proved unattainable. Severus always covered himself in prickly armour in my presence and, to my regret, no matter what I said or did; I never seemed able to breach it.

A somewhat tense silence fell over the room; the clerk shuffled his papers and shot covert and somewhat nervous glances our way every few minutes- which Severus returned with glares that would peel paint from the wall. I simply sat back, finished off the last biscuit and tried to be patient. While I waited, I amused myself by trying to predict whether Severus would explode or Skyrm would appear first.

I'd almost decided to place my bet on Severus, who was appearing more and more impatient with every passing moment, when the door to Skyrm's office finally opened. A tall wizard dressed head to toe in black glided out followed by a short, balding, and rather pompous looking fellow whom I assumed, correctly as it turned out, was the Warlock of Law himself.

As the wizard in black headed out of the office, Skyrm headed for us, and we both rose to meet him.

"I'm so sorry to have kept you gentlemen waiting!" he said in a slightly oily voice. "I do try to keep to a tight schedule, but some clients just will not be rushed in the completion of their business. I'm Horace Skyrm." He extended a hand which Severus ignored completely, so I stepped in and grasped it in my own. It was damp.

"Hello, I'm Remus Lupin," I said with a smile as I tried to stop myself from wiping the hand he'd quickly released on the side of my robe

Skyrm nodded briefly in acknowledgement before turning to Severus with a much warmer smile. "Then you must be Mr Snape."

"Yes, I must be," said Severus in a tone filled with annoyance. "I made room in my very busy schedule for this meeting because your letter said it was of the utmost importance that I be here, but I do not appreciate being kept waiting because you cannot run your office efficiently."

I noted a brief flash of anger in Skyrm's dark eyes in response to Severus's admittedly arrogant tone before he suppressed it beneath a look of utmost supplication.

"I really am most dreadfully sorry. I hope that my clerk offered you some refreshment, at least." He glanced down at the tea tray, no doubt noting the empty biscuit plate and single used cup.

Severus brushed past Skyrm and headed for the man's office. "If I'd wanted watery tea and packaged biscuits I would have had them before I came. Can we please just get on with this? I have a meeting that I simply cannot miss in just over an hour's time."

"Uh, of course," stammered Skyrm.

I nodded pleasantly to the man as I passed him, also heading for the inner office. "I thought the tea and biscuits were great. Really hit the spot."

"Ah, good, good," murmured Skyrm as he followed us into his office, pausing only to order his clerk not to allow any interruptions.

Skrym's private office was far more luxuriously appointed than his clerk's. Here everything was dark leather and gleaming wood with wide windows rimmed in deep green velvet. We were quickly ushered into comfortable chairs that faced a large and impressive looking desk that dwarfed Skyrm with its size. Seated behind it, the small man reminded me of Flitwick seated at the staff table in Hogwarts Great Hall, but without the air of goodwill that Filius always exuded.

Once everyone was seated, Skyrm placed before him on the desk two parchment scrolls and a round flat object made of polished black stone.

"I will be as brief as possible," said Skyrm. "My client Audra Cordelia Sparling has left a sizable estate of which you two gentlemen are the primary beneficiaries. There are a couple of small bequests to others but the bulk of the money and property are willed to you jointly with a couple of conditions."

Severus crossed his arms. "Just what are these conditions? And why jointly? Lupin has admitted that he never even knew her. Why would my great aunt leave a legacy to a perfect stranger? The whole thing is ridiculous."

Skrym shrugged. "I don't really know, Mr Snape. There's nothing in the written will that explains why Miss Sparling left anything to Mr Lupin, it merely makes it clear that she did."

As Severus opened his mouth to argue further, Skyrm held up a hand to forestall him.

"However, she left this device with a message specifically for the two of you." Skyrm gestured toward the black disc. "Although I'm well aware of the contents of the will, indeed, I drew the thing up just a week before she died; I haven't listened to the message as only the combined magic of your wands can trigger it. Perhaps she explains what you want to know in that."

Severus frowned at the small black disc, but I shrugged and leaned forward. "Well, there's only one way to find out. Let's listen to it." I drew my wand. "What do we do to make it play?"

"Just touch the disc with your wands. Both wands must touch it at the same time to activate it," said Skyrm.

I stood up and pointed my wand at the disc, then looked at Severus. "Well? Don't you want to know why she left such a surprising will?"

With a brief nod, Severus stood as well. "Yes, we might as well get this over with."

As one we touched our wands to the disc, and then sat back down in our chairs to watch as a brief flash of blue filled the room. Once it faded, a faintly misty looking figure of a woman stood on the surface of the disc staring at us. She stood no more than a foot high, but I immediately had an impression of strength and a presence that seemed to fill the room. Audra Sparling stood ramrod straight, and although she held an ornate cane in one hand she didn't seem to rely on it. Her hair was completely white and pulled back into a bun, her features were knife sharp in a thin face, but the smile she bestowed on us held warmth. I was intrigued, and from the expression on his face, I believe Severus was too.

"I am Audra Cordelia Sparling," said the woman in a pleasant voice that held a faint quaver. "I assume I'm now addressing Severus Snape and Remus Lupin since I've arranged it so that only the magic from your wands could activate this message. If it's being played, then you are the people it's intended for. I'm sure that you're both wondering why I've left my home and fortune to you, but I'm afraid you'll have to wonder for awhile longer. Hopefully why will become clear to you in the months ahead, if not, then it most likely won't matter anyway.

"Severus, although I only had the pleasure of meeting you once, when you were a very small boy, I've managed to keep a discreet eye on you over the years. You worried me greatly for awhile there, but it appears that things have worked out for the best in the end. You seem to be shaking things up at the Ministry these days, and I say, good for you. Merlin knows, it needs shaking up every now and then.

"Remus Lupin, although we've never met, I've kept an eye on you too, over the years. There are things about your life that have puzzled me, choices you've made that seemed out of character for what I thought I knew of you, however, you seem to be a kind and decent man, despite the nasty hand that life has dealt you, and I hope that you and Severus will be willing to work together to fulfil my conditions. I don't think either of you will regret it if you do.

"Anyway, enough chitchat. I never could bear to listen to anyone run on at the mouth for too long, so I'll try to be brief. There are two conditions attached to your inheritance. I know you both probably thought you could just pocket the money, sell the old house and go back to your lives without giving me or mine another thought, but I'm sorry to tell you that it isn't going to work that way. I have my reasons for what I've done, and you're just going to have to accept that if you want the inheritance.

"Condition number one is that you both will have to live in my home together for one year, spending no more than three nights away from the house in a single month. Condition number two is that you must find my treasure and take it to heart. You'll know what I mean when the time comes, I assure you. If you cannot fulfil condition number two in a year's time, you will forfeit the estate completely. Let me be very clear on this point, fail at either of these conditions and neither of you will see so much as a knut from me.

"I feel that I should warn you not to look for any help from Horace here."

Skyrm stirred in his chair but didn't interrupt.

"If you don't succeed in fulfilling my conditions, the entire estate, barring a few minor bequests, will go to him. He's a cousin many times removed on my mother's side of the family. Some would say that he has the greater claim to the estate, as he's a pureblood, while you, Severus, are only a half-blood, and you Mr Lupin, regardless of your blood status, are no relative at all. However, to that I say, piffle! The patriarchal and unbearably snobbish nature of wizarding society never served me well, so I choose to ignore its desires and do as I wish."

The eyes of the small figure seemed to sharpen and she glared at Severus and me as if she could actually see us.

"Do not let me down, gentlemen! I have no desire to see my home in the hands of a Skyrm. Good luck to you both, and remember, you're stronger together than you are apart."

Then with a nod of her head, Audra Sparling faded away.

Skyrm cleared his throat loudly, interrupting the profound silence that filled the room after the recording ended, and drawing our attention back to him. The small man shoved the two scrolls across the desk.

"Gentlemen, I have a copy of Miss Sparling's will for each of you. The house is called Greycliffs, and it sits on several acres of mostly wooded land along the Northumberland coast. A recent picture and explicit apparition directions are appended to the will. You're to take up residence on the first of December, which is the day after tomorrow. Will this be satisfactory?"

"It's fine with me," I said. After all, I really didn't have much to pack, and I certainly wasn't overly attached to the hole in the wall where I was currently living. I leaned forward and collected my copy of the will and turned to see what Severus's reaction would be.

His frown might have indicated the severest of displeasure on anyone else's face, but on Severus it could easily mean nothing more than mildly disgruntled thoughtfulness. It was hard to know, and I certainly wasn't willing to hazard a guess as to what it meant.

He reached forward slowly and plucked his copy of the will from Skyrm's desk. "It's not terribly convenient," he said. "This is an extremely busy week for me. However, I imagine I can arrange to get at least some of my things moved in between meetings. I suppose it really doesn't matter whether I sleep in London or in Northumberland."

Skyrm nodded. "Very well. I'll take all the necessary steps to put the conditions of the will into effect tomorrow. As of the first of the month, you'll take conditional joint ownership of the Sparling property. Miss Sparling has arranged for each of you to receive a small monthly allowance from the estate. Acting as agent for the estate, I'll take care of any household bills during this probationary period and dole out the allowance. We can meet at the house on the morning of the first of December, say at 10:30, and I'll give you your first month's allowances and turn over the keys to the house at that time. Will that be satisfactory?"

I nodded and waited to see if the meeting time would be agreeable to the very busy Severus, but apparently Mr Skyrm had somehow managed to hit on a free moment because he simply nodded as well. "That'll be fine."

Skyrm got to his feet. "Splendid. Do either of you have any other questions?"

When both of us shook our heads, Skyrm turned and headed for his office door. Before I left, while Skyrm was busy fawning over Severus, I picked up the recording disc from the desk and stuck it in my pocket. It hadn't been intended for Skyrm, so I had no qualms about taking it, and I wanted to listen to it again if I had a chance.

The Warlock of Law bowed us out of his office and shut the door behind us. The clerk looked up as we walked past his desk, but made no attempt to address us, and we left the building together.

Once out on the pavement, I smiled at Severus and asked, "Well, what do you think of that?"

He frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know. It's all very strange. Why wouldn't she explain why she left the estate to the two of us, and what the hell could her treasure be? And if we do manage to find it, how are we supposed to 'take it to heart'? Talk about vague expectations. The whole business is absurd!"

"It sounds like a puzzle to me," I said. "I think it might be rather fun."

Severus snorted. "You would! I suppose you don't have anything better to do with your time. I, on the other hand, am much too busy to bother with such drivel, and the thought of sharing a dwelling with you doesn't exactly thrill me. I require my privacy and... Oh, Merlin!" Severus's frown deepened to a scowl. "It won't be just you, will it?"

"What do you mean?" I gazed at Severus in surprise, surely he knew...

"Last I heard you were a married man complete with squalling offspring. I won't just have to put up with you, as if that isn't bad enough. I'll have to put up with your whole annoying family." Something flickered in the depths of his eyes and the sarcastic tone of his voice deepened. "What will your wife say when you tell her that she'll have to be ready to move across the country in two days time?"

"I don't imagine she'd like it very much. Fortunately what she thinks doesn't matter. Dora and I divorced some time ago and she has custody of Teddy, so you'll only have one housemate to deal with... me, and I have no problem packing up and moving at a moment's notice."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Hester**

It was overcast and gloomy when I appeared on the gravel driveway in front of Miss Sparling's home. I had to close my eyes for a moment to avoid falling over before my sense of balance and orientation caught up with me. Apparition wasn't my favourite method of travel under the best of circumstances and making a jump from written directions, no matter how precise, and a static photograph was definitely not the best of circumstances as far as I was concerned. Although I was certainly glad to arrive in one piece. I'd splinched myself once years ago and never wanted to repeat the experience.

Once I was sure that I'd neither fall over nor lose the meagre contents of my stomach, I opened my eyes and took a good look around. Everything looked very much as it had in the photograph, impressive but not overly inviting. The house was three stories tall with severe angles, topped with an enclosed cupola. It was made of grey stone and the small amount of wood trim it contained was painted a glossy black. The driveway I stood on consisted of a raked gravel bed which snaked in from a dark wood, looped around a grassy patch with an inoperative fountain in the middle, and met itself to disappear back into the woods where wisps of fog hovered among the trees.

The smell of the sea was strong in the cold air and when I walked to a corner where I could look down along the side of the house, I could see that the lawn stretched on a fair ways behind the building before ending abruptly at a cliff with nothing beyond but cold, grey, ocean. On a warm summer day it was probably quite pleasant, but today was bleak and damp and the ocean didn't look particularly inviting beneath its low cover of seething dark clouds.

The property definitely lived up to its name. Everywhere I looked there was little but grey to see. Grey house, grey woods, grey sky and grey sea. With a shiver, I pulled the collar of my cloak a bit higher, picked up my battered suitcases and headed for the door. Hopefully things would be a bit more cheery inside.

A shiny brass knocker in the shape of a sinuous dragon rested quietly in the centre of the front door. When I reached out to grasp it, the coils of the dragon shimmered and its eyelids snapped open, revealing sharp green eyes that examined me warily. Instinctively, I pulled back my hand, afraid for a moment of what this unexpected guardian might do, but when the dragon did nothing more than continue to look at me sombrely, I decided I was being ridiculous. So I grabbed it and rapped it firmly against its metal plate.

The resulting sound had barely faded when the door creaked open and a small, round woman with iron grey hair and bright green eyes, behind wire rimmed spectacles, very much like those of the dragon, peered out at me. She looked me carefully up and down before opening the door a bit wider.

"You must be Mr Lupin, one of the heirs," she said in a low, agreeable voice. "Come in, come in. Don't hang around out there on the stoop. You're letting all the cold air in."

Impatiently she beckoned me into the house and, once inside, she quickly shut the door behind me. After setting down my luggage, I straightened up and looked around. I found myself standing in a spacious entry hall with squares of black and white marble under my feet and a large dimly glowing chandelier overhead. Several closed doors lined the hall on either side, and a narrow corridor led off into the shadowy depths of the house. The only sound to be heard was the ticking of a grandfather clock that stood in the bend of a wide staircase that curved upward, hugging the wall as it went.

I shivered in the chill air. It seemed to me as if the woman's concern about letting cold air into the house was too little, too late, for it didn't feel that much warmer inside than it had outside, though the lack of wind was welcome.

Summoning a friendly smile for my companion, who was watching me closely, I said, "You're right. I'm Remus Lupin. And you are?" I paused hoping she'd fill in her name. It occurred to me as I stood there facing her that Skrym hadn't told us anything at all about the size of the household. Clearly Audra Sparling had money and a house this size didn't run itself. There had to be some sort of staff.

The woman, who came no higher than the middle of my chest, nevertheless seemed to exude a slightly intimidating air. A keen intelligence sparkled in her green eyes, and I had the feeling that she probably ran a very efficient household.

"My name is Hester Grant. I've worked for Miss Audra and her family since I was young. If you bothered to read her will, then you should already know that I have life tenancy here at Greycliffs if I choose to serve you and Mr Snape. I figured I'd wait and see what I'd have to put up with from the two of you before deciding."

I nodded. "Very sensible of you."

Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely remembered reading something about her bequest in the will, but I'd only skimmed the sections which detailed the bequests to others and had concentrated on the parts that applied to me. Those sections I read several times over, in an effort to convince myself that the whole thing was real and not simply some sort of vivid dream.

She grunted in reply. "When will Mr Snape be arriving? Do you know? I'm sure you'll both want a tour of the place, and I'd prefer to only have to do that once."

"I'm not sure when Severus will be arriving, but I imagine he'll be along soon. We're supposed to meet Mr Skyrm here at 10:30 this morning. He's going to officially hand over the house keys and give us our first monthly allowances."

Hester snorted shortly. "Old scrimp and save is handling the purse strings, is he? That man hates to part with a knut if he can avoid it. If you want my advice, you'll count anything he gives you very carefully." She glanced at the clock as it chimed the quarter hour. "Since they both should be here fairly soon, I think we can hold off on that tour for now. Would you like some tea while you wait?"

"Tea sounds wonderful," I said honestly. I'd had to skip breakfast for what I hoped was the last time, at least for the next year. It would be rather pleasant to have some money of my own once more. I'd still have preferred to earn it rather than have it given to me, but I knew that wasn't likely to happen any time soon. I hadn't had much luck finding work in quite awhile.

"You can hang your cloak over there."

Hester gestured to a coat rack standing in a corner by the front door, and then she crossed the hall and opened the door to one of the rooms. I did as she suggested and then followed her into a rather gloomy parlour filled with horsehair stuffed furniture and lots of dark wood. The room had an unused feeling to it and, although I wouldn't have thought it possible, was even chillier than the hall. The large fireplace that occupied the far wall had wood laid in it ready to burn but was unlit.

"This is the morning room, though it hasn't been used in quite some time. Miss Audra almost never sat in here, she said it was depressing. It seems to me that she was right about that. It does tend to be damp and rather gloomy, but it's good enough for Skyrm. I laid a fire here this morning and took off the dust sheets. You can light it now if you wish while I go and get the tea. Make yourself as comfortable as you can. It'll take me a bit of time to get everything together. I don't move as fast as I used to."

"Don't you have any help?" I asked.

She looked at me in surprise. "Like who? Surely you weren't expecting an army of house-elves to see to your every wish?" She looked faintly amused at the notion. "It's been just me and Miss Audra here for years. There's a gardener who comes irregularly, more often when the weather is warmer, who tends to the gardens and lawn, but here in the house, I'm all the help there is. Miss Audra didn't want house-elves around. When the old master died and the house came to her, she freed all the house-elves whether they wanted to be freed or not, and some of them were quite upset about it, let me tell you. But Miss Audra insisted. She said she wouldn't be a party to slavery. So off they went and that was that."

Hester waved toward the fireplace. "I'll go and fetch the tea now. You really should light the fire. It's colder than I thought in here." With that parting comment, Hester stalked out the door leaving me alone in the cold, gloomy room.

Deciding she was right, I took out my wand and quickly lit the fire. I'd just gotten that stiff feeling out of my fingers by toasting them over the blaze when there was a loud knock at the front door. I waited a moment, but when Hester didn't appear, I went back into the hall and opened the door myself.

Severus stood on the doorstep wrapped warmly in a glossy black cloak. Several expensive dragon-hide suitcases rested on the stones beside him. A smirk crossed his face as he saw who had opened the door for him. He snatched up the smallest of his bags and walked into the house. "I see they've put you to work, Lupin. Excellent! I always thought domestic service would be an ideal occupation for you. You always work so hard at being agreeable to everyone. Since you're being so helpful, bring in the rest of my luggage, won't you?"

Suppressing a sigh, I hefted the remaining suitcases and moved them into the hall depositing them next to my own shabby bags. Arguing with Severus over such a trifle wouldn't be worth the effort, but I wasn't going to allow him to turn me into some sort of houseboy. The will said we were to share equally in Miss Sparling's estate, and despite the fact that Severus was a blood relation and I wasn't, I was determined that sharing equally was what we were going to do.

Severus stood in the middle of the hall and glanced around. "It hasn't changed a bit," he mused thoughtfully.

"You've been here before then?" I asked.

"Yes, once. When I was a child. I came with my mother and my grandmother. I remember being bored silly sitting around with a bunch of women while they talked and drank tea. I wanted to go and play in the garden, or at least explore the house, but it was raining and cold and they made me stay by the fire with them. It was a long, tedious afternoon, and I was glad when it was finally over."

"Is that the only time you came?" I asked, intrigued by this snippet of Snape family history.

"Yes. My mother and grandmother quarrelled rather badly shortly afterward, and I never saw any of her relatives again, including my grandparents. I barely remember Miss Sparling from that visit. She didn't speak to me very much, though she did seem to watch me fairly closely. At the time, I figured she wanted to be sure I didn't break anything, though considering recent developments, I suppose there might have been more to her interest than simply protecting her property from a potentially destructive child."

Severus hung his cloak on the coat rack next to mine then shivered abruptly and rubbed his arms. "Merlin, it's cold in here. Don't they heat the place?"

I beckoned him into the morning room. "I lit the fire in here that should warm you up a bit."

Severus followed me into the room and headed straight for the fireplace. "Why did you light the fire? I'd think that would be a servant's job. There _are_ some around here somewhere, aren't there?"

I stood next to Severus at the fireplace and re-warmed my hands. "Actually, I think we'll both be doing a fair amount of the fetching and carrying around here. There's only one servant in the whole place, and apparently Miss Sparling's will gives her the option of whether or not she wants to work for us."

"Yes, Hester somebody or other. I remember reading that, although I didn't realise she was the only servant. She'll stay," he exclaimed confidently.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked.

"According to the will, she's been here since she was barely out of her childhood. If she doesn't choose to serve us, she'll have to leave. I seriously doubt she'll want to be kicked out of the only home she's ever had at this time of her life even though she inherited a tidy sum of her own. I'm surprised to learn there aren't any other servants, however. Not even a house-elf?"

"Nope. Apparently Miss Sparling thought very little of house-elf enslavement, and when she inherited the place from her father, she set them all free. I guess she felt that one servant was plenty for a woman living alone. Whether Hester decides to stay or not I'm sure we'll manage just fine."

"Oh, really? You do realise that according to the will, we aren't allowed to make any changes to the running of the household during this probationary year. That includes the hiring of more staff. If she does decide to leave, you and I will have to take care of this place all by ourselves. I can't say I find that prospect very attractive." He glanced around the big room with a look of faint distaste.

I shrugged as I followed his gaze. "Oh, I don't know. This house is in far better shape than Grimmauld Place was. I lived there by myself for awhile and did just fine. It won't be a problem no matter what Hester decides, you'll see."

"Yes, I suppose I will. Where is the woman anyway? You've obviously met her. Why wasn't she here to open the door just now?" asked Severus.

"She's getting some tea. I'll bet she didn't hear you knock from back in the kitchen."

Just then Hester pushed open the door and came into the room carrying a heavily laden tray which she set on a low table in front of the sofa next to the fireplace.

"There you are, Mr Snape," she said. "You've changed a bit since I last laid eyes on you."

"You must be Hester. You remember me, do you?"

Hester nodded. "Yes, indeed. You came with Miss Imogene and your mother to have tea with Miss Audra when you were just a child. It was a long time ago, but there's nothing wrong with my memory. For all you've got taller, you haven't changed much otherwise. Dress a bit better, maybe. Do you want some tea? Mr Lupin told me that the two of you were meeting old Skyrm here so I brought enough for everyone."

Before Severus could respond, a knock sounded at the front door just as the clock in the hall chimed the half hour.

"That'll be Skyrm now," said Hester. "You always could set your watch by the man, I'll give him that. I'll just go and let him in."

Hester vanished back into the hall, and was back a moment later with Skyrm, who was bundled up warmly in a fur-lined cloak. With a flourish, he removed the cloak and handed it to Hester, before joining Severus and me by the fire. "You've both arrived; excellent. This shouldn't take long. Have a seat, have a seat..."

Skyrm waved both of us toward the sofa while he himself perched on an overstuffed chair that faced us. Hester clutched Skyrm's cloak and slipped out of the room. I noticed that she didn't bother to shut the door behind her, however, so I imagined she didn't go so far away that she couldn't listen in on the conversation.

"Do you want some tea, Mr Skyrm?"I asked as I lifted the pot and began to pour.

"Yes, thank you. Lemon. No sugar," the small man replied, thanking me politely when I handed him his cup.

As Skyrm helped himself to a biscuit from the plate on the tray, I fixed two more cups of tea and handed one to Severus. "You like a little milk but no sugar, right, Severus?" I smiled as I handed over his cup.

Severus raised an eyebrow, but said only, "Yes, that's right."

I settled back on the sofa with a cup of my own and a biscuit. As the sound of sipping and munching filled the room in lieu of conversation, I watched Severus while trying not to be too obvious about it. I'd clearly surprised the man by knowing how he took his tea. I allowed myself a small smile and took a sip from my cup. Noticing things about Severus had long been an occupation of mine, and he'd no doubt be surprised at all the things I knew about him.

I let my gaze come to rest on his hands as they held his tea cup. I'd always particularly admired those hands. They were strong and sure with long tapering fingers whose elegance not even the small scars and stains of a lifetime of potion making could hide.

Skyrm suddenly set his empty teacup down with a clatter and cleared his throat, and I snapped back to attention with a start. When I looked up, I found Severus considering me with narrowed, speculative eyes, obviously he'd caught me watching him and wasn't sure what to make of it. Skyrm's no nonsense tones quickly turned our attention away from each other and settled it on him where it really belonged at the moment.

"To business, eh, gentlemen? I've made arrangements to settle the household accounts on a regular basis, and I will meet with you on the first Monday of each month to give you your allowances." He withdrew two small black drawstring bags from a pocket and placed them on the table. Each bag made a very satisfying clunk as he set it down.

"Each bag contains 100 Galleons, your monthly allowance," said Skyrm. "Since I'll be handling all the household expenses, Miss Sparling thought this would be an adequate amount for your personal needs. I hope you agree because it's all you're getting."

We both nodded. Privately the idea of having 100 Galleons to do whatever I wanted with every month seemed incredibly extravagant to me and for the first time, I wondered just how much money was in the entire Sparling estate. The will hadn't been specific in regards to worth, which I supposed made sense if most of the money was invested and thus was often in flux.

"Very well. Here are your keys to the house." Skyrm laid a large ornate key next to each of the black bags. "If there's nothing further, I'll be going as I have other appointments today."

We all rose, but before Skyrm could go in search of his cloak, I decided to satisfy my curiosity, who knew when I'd have another chance? "Mr Skyrm, may I ask how much the entire estate is worth? I mean, if Severus and I meet the conditions Miss Sparling laid down, it will all come to us, and I'm curious to know how much money we're talking about."

"Yes," said Severus. "I, too, am curious."

Skyrm frowned slightly. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in telling you, as you say, it may well all be yours soon." His tone seemed to indicate that he had his doubts about that, but nevertheless, he readily drew his wand and a flat object that resembled a child's drawing slate out of a pocket.

The Warlock waved his wand over the slate and several rows of figures appeared, hovering just above the surface. Using his wand to manipulate the slate, he flipped the rows of numbers around, watching as some appeared and others vanished. Occasionally, he'd stop and make a note to a tally at the bottom of the slate. After a few moments, the numbers stopped flashing and vanished completely and Skyrm added up the column of figures he'd accumulated.

"Miss Sparling had many investments whose worth changes from moment to moment, but this should be a pretty close approximation of the estate's current value." Skyrm noted down a final number and turned the slate so we could read it. As I stared at the total, I could feel my jaw drop. The Sparling estate was certainly worth more money than I ever thought I'd have access to in my life. One Hundred Galleons a month was nothing compared to the amount of money coming our way if Severus and I managed to solve Audra Sparling's puzzle.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Binding**

After Skyrm had gone, Severus swept into the hall and retrieved his cloak. "I have to get back to the Ministry."

"You can't stay for a tour of the house?" I asked. Surely he wanted to look around now that he had the chance.

"No, if I don't leave now, I'll be late for an important meeting. I'm sure the house will look quite the same this evening." A smirk crossed his face as he waved a hand toward his bags standing beside the coat rack. "Have my bags put in the master suite."

Before I could comment on Severus's rather high-handed assumption that he was entitled to what was probably the best and largest bedroom in the house, as he probably expected me to, Hester stepped forward and said, "My mistress's clothes and other personal items are still in the master suite."

"Why wasn't it cleared out after she died?" asked Severus.

"It hasn't been that long," said Hester. Then she hesitated for a moment before admitting in a softer tone, "And because I haven't been able to face going back in there, if you want the truth of it."

"Is that where she died, Hester?" I asked quietly.

The housekeeper nodded, looking a bit tearful. "Yes."

Severus sighed then looked suddenly thoughtful. "Where is my great aunt buried? Now that I think about it, as her closest relation, I'd have expected to have been told about a funeral service and an interment, but I knew nothing of her death until I received the notice to go to Skyrm's office for the reading of the will."

"You didn't hear about a funeral because there wasn't one," said Hester. "Miss Audra didn't want the fuss and bother. She arranged to be cremated. Her ashes are in an urn back in the potting room at the rear of the house. Thomas the gardener is going to spread them in the garden next time he comes. She said it would be good for the roses, and she wanted to stay close to home."

We both simply stared at Hester for a moment, unsure how to respond to this announcement.

Finally I turned to Severus and asked, "Couldn't you take another room for now until we've had a chance to properly sort through Miss Sparling's things? We might find clues to the treasure in there."

"You simply can't wait to start your treasure hunt, can you? Very well, select a suitable bedroom for me. If I have any objection to your choice, I'll be sure and let you know. I'll see you this evening."

With that, Severus wrapped himself in his cloak and left the house.

I turned to Hester with a smile. "Would you give me a tour of the house, Hester?"

"I suppose so. You're going to need to know where things are. Just let me get these bags taken upstairs first. Then we can start down here."

I reached for my wand to levitate the bags. I certainly wasn't going to stand aside and make this little old woman carry all this luggage upstairs when I could easily manage it. "I'll be happy to take them upstairs for you."

Hester shook her head. "There's no need. It's not as if I'll be carrying them up all those stairs by myself. Miss Audra had these special Portkeys made years ago to make taking heavy things upstairs a bit easier. I was never exceptionally good with levitation spells, and Miss Audra got tired of doing all the shifting herself."

She reached into the pocket of her apron and removed several small brass discs. Placing a disc on top of each bag, she tapped it lightly and one by one, the bags vanished.

Once the bags had all disappeared, Hester turned to me with a nod of satisfaction. "That takes care of them. There's a flat open space at the head of the stairs, the bags will be there to collect. You've seen the morning room, so I guess we'll start across the hall in the parlour. Everything's covered in dust sheets so there won't be much to see, but you'll get a feel for the place anyway."

Hester was right, there wasn't much to see, with the exception of a spacious, well appointed kitchen, all the other ground floor rooms were dimly lit spaces filled with dustsheet enshrouded furniture. Clearly Miss Sparling had not been using the main floor of the house for some time, and as Hester and I climbed the winding staircase in the front hall, she admitted as much.

"Miss Audra was finding it difficult to get up and down the stairs even with magical assistance, so for most of the last year, she kept to the first floor of the house almost all the time."

When we got to the top of the stairs, I was pleased to see the luggage sitting just where Hester said it would be, piled up on a wide landing on our left. A long dark corridor stretched down the length of the house from the front stairs. I could see several closed doors along its shadowed length.

"How many bedrooms are there, Hester?"

"Four on this floor. There used to be five, but Miss Audra had one converted into a library. Her rooms are here." Hester stepped up to the closest door and opened it. It opened into a light and spacious sitting room. A lovely oriental rug woven in warm tones covered the bright wood floor, one wall contained a large rose-tinted marble fireplace, and lots of carefully polished oak furniture filled the space. It was a warm, inviting room.

Hester hesitated on the threshold for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping inside. She crossed the room quickly and threw open a second door. This door led into a large bedroom with its own private bath beyond. A huge canopied bed, stripped down to its mattress, dominated the space. With this exception, the room looked very much as if its occupant had just stepped away for a moment, but would be returning at any time.

Looking around, I understood why Hester had hesitated to begin clearing things out. Her mistress hadn't been gone very long and, although the room wasn't excessively messy, the precious possessions of a lifetime sat on every surface and were crowded into every corner. Every item probably had meaning not only for its former owner, but for such a long-time, loyal companion as well.

"It's a lovely room," I said.

Hester nodded her agreement. "It still seems odd not to see her up here."

"I'm sure it does. Hester, will it be difficult for you to see us here in Miss Sparling's place? Living in her house, interfering with her things?"

Hester continued to stare at her mistress's room for a long silent moment before glancing up at me. Her expression gave nothing away. "It was Miss Audra's wish that you and Mr Snape should inherit her house and all it contained. She wanted you here. I've always gone along with whatever she wanted, so no, it won't bother me to have you living here. In fact, I wish I could hel..." Suddenly Hester raised a hand to her throat, her face had turned ashen.

"Are you all right?"I asked. The change that had come over the housekeeper was swift and slightly alarming.

She took a deep, sudden breath and stepped back away from me. "Yes, I'm fine," she said in a tight voice. Then she turned and headed back to the corridor. "We shouldn't be standing here wasting time. I'm sure you want to select a room of your own so you can get settled."

Puzzled and still slightly concerned, I nevertheless decided it wasn't my place to press her about something she clearly didn't want to talk about. At any rate, she seemed completely recovered from whatever had momentarily come over her. So without another word, I followed her out of Miss Sparling's rooms and down the corridor, passing several closed doors before reaching the end of the hall where three doors stood close together.

"There's a bedroom back down the hall, but it's the smallest and darkest of the four so I didn't think either you or Mr Snape would be wanting it, though of course, you're welcome to it if these don't suit. The two rooms here, on either side of the upstairs bath," she nodded to the central door, "are both quite comfortable and, in my opinion, they have the best views in the house. I cleaned them as soon as I knew you were coming and put fresh linens on the beds. There isn't much difference between them." She threw open both doors and stepped back.

I peered into first one room and then the other. She was right. The rooms were mirror images of each other with wide windows that looked out over the back gardens and had a view out to the cliffs and the sea beyond. Each room contained a large comfortable looking bed and had a fireplace on the inner wall. I saw little difference between them, so I arbitrarily chose the one on my right and hoped that Severus wouldn't care anymore than I had which one he was given. Certainly the view from one room wasn't any less spectacular than that from the other.

As I looked around what would be our bedrooms, I couldn't help but hope that living together in the same house might finally allow us to put any lingering animosities in the past and find a way to get along. I'd always found Severus to be a very intriguing man, not to mention an incredibly attractive one, but I'd certainly never said anything on that score.

I really didn't have any idea whether Severus favoured men or women for personal relationships; I hadn't been given the chance to get to know the man well enough to find out. Whenever I'd tried to change that in the past, he always shut me down quite emphatically. With any luck, this odd situation we found ourselves in would be the chance I'd always wanted, to get past his defences and get to know him better.

Hester and I went back up the hall to retrieve the waiting luggage. As we passed by, Hester opened the door to the fourth bedroom and I glanced inside. It was definitely smaller than either of the bedrooms Hester had shown me and was really quite dark, with trees closing in outside the windows. I didn't like it nearly as well as either bedroom at the end of the hall. I was a sucker for an ocean view.

While Hester went on to pick up the first of the bags, I opened a second closed door across the hall from Miss Sparling's rooms wondering if it might not be the library that Hester had spoken of. The idea of having a whole room full of new and interesting books to peruse at my leisure was a very appealing thought, and I'd wanted to get a look at it ever since the housekeeper mentioned its existence.

The large square room I found behind the door was indeed the library, and unlike the rooms downstairs, it had clearly remained in everyday use for there were no dust sheets anywhere. The walls were covered, floor to ceiling, with bookcases that were jammed full of books. Comfortable looking chairs were scattered around the room interspersed with low tables and the floor was covered by another beautiful oriental rug- this one in the shades of a summer sea.

One wall held a green marble fireplace and over the mantelpiece was a large portrait of Miss Sparling herself. My jaw dropped as I saw the portrait and I couldn't help staring.

"Good heavens! Why is she bound like that?" I cried, for the figure in the portrait was tied tightly to her chair with a gag covering her mouth. Her eyes seemed to plead for my help as she wriggled back and forth, obviously trying to break free of her bonds.

I crossed the room to the portrait and drew my wand, but I wasn't sure what spell to use. How did you remove bindings from a painted image? I realised suddenly that I had no idea. I turned and looked at Hester, who had followed me and now stood in the doorway, wringing her hands as she stared up at the picture of her mistress.

"Hester? Do you know why the portrait is bound like this or not?" I asked again, though I was pretty sure I knew the answer. Although the poor woman looked distressed at the condition of the portrait, she didn't look surprised.

Reluctantly, Hester nodded and her eyes slid from the portrait to mine. "Yes. Skyrm did it." Anger flashed in the housekeeper's eyes and coloured her voice. "Miss Audra arranged for the portrait to be made and then hung after she died, but when Skyrm first saw it, he had a horrible argument with it. I've never heard such shouting except when Miss Audra called him in to write up her will.

"He didn't like that either. When he heard what she wanted to do with her money, leaving it to you and Mr Snape, I was honestly afraid he was going to hit her; he was so angry. He was honour bound as her Warlock of Law to go along with her desires, of course, no matter how much he hated them, but he did his best to make her change her mind. He thought the estate should go to him. No doubt he'd counted on it for years."

"Did he threaten her?" I asked.

"Oh yes, but they were empty threats and he knew it. Ol' Skyrm isn't nearly as magically powerful as Miss Audra was, even sick as she was at the end." Hester dabbed at her suddenly moist eyes with a handkerchief before shoving it back into a pocket of her robe.

"Why on earth did Miss Sparling use Mr Skyrm as her Warlock of Law? Surely she could have found someone else. Someone she liked and knew she could trust."

Hester shrugged. "Family obligation, I suppose. She'd lost or lost touch with all the rest of her relatives. He was the only one left except for Mr Snape. And Skyrm and his father before him had always handled Mr Mordecai's affairs. When he died, it made sense for Miss Audra to just continue on. She liked and respected Skyrm's father, but she never liked Skyrm much, and the feeling was mutual, you could tell, but he liked her money well enough. He expected it all to come to him when she died so he was always polite and respectful... until the end."

I turned back and gazed at the portrait, who gazed back at me with sympathetic eyes. "Hester, if the portrait wasn't hung until after Miss Sparling died, how did Mr Skyrm ever see it? Surely he wouldn't have had any reason to come here once she was gone."

Hester put a hand to her throat in what looked to me like a protective gesture. "I think it was the will that made him come. Once he knew he wasn't going to inherit, he came to the house the day after she died and began poking around... nosy like." She stopped and gazed mutely at me.

"You think he was looking for the treasure," I said. That was the only thing that made sense.

The housekeeper looked nervous and didn't answer directly. "When Skyrm came in here and saw the portrait, he was furious. They started screaming at each other. I'm sure he magically bound the portrait so it couldn't speak to you and Mr Snape. He didn't want it to help you find..." Once more her hand went to her throat and she momentarily seemed to have difficulty breathing.

Suddenly everything made sense. "Skyrm put some sort of binding spell on you, too, didn't he?"

Hester simply pressed a trembling hand to her throat and didn't reply, but her eyes filled with angry tears, and that was all the answer I needed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: An Impulsive Offer**

"It's outrageous! To bind the portrait is bad enough, but to put a spell on Hester against her will is criminal! We should have him arrested," I exclaimed angrily as I stared across the dinner table at my housemate.

Severus had been a bit late home from work and had come straight in to join me at dinner once he'd hung up his cloak. Perhaps I should have let him eat his meal in peace before telling him what I'd learned, but I was too upset to wait.

Severus casually took a sip of his soup before laying his spoon down reluctantly and focusing his attention on me. His calm complacency irritated me even more. Why wasn't he as incensed as I was about Skyrm's behaviour?

"At the moment, we have no grounds for having him arrested. The problem with binding spells is that by definition they prevent the person who's bound from speaking out against the one who bound them. Did Hester accuse Skyrm of binding either her or the portrait?"

"She wasn't able to say anything about her own binding, but logically if he did the one, he must have done the other. She did say that Skyrm bound Miss Sparling's portrait. She overheard them having a horrible argument when Skyrm came here to snoop around after Miss Sparling died."

"Did she actually see Skyrm bind the portrait?" asked Severus.

"I don't know. I don't think so, I have a feeling she was listening outside the door, but the portrait was free before he showed up and bound afterwards. Only an idiot wouldn't know who was guilty!"

Severus nodded. "No doubt, but unfortunately, it's all irrelevant. If she didn't witness the binding personally then her evidence would be considered nothing more than assumption or hearsay. Besides, it's not against the law to bind portraits. They're property and as such, don't have any rights of their own."

I flung myself back in my chair in annoyance and rapped my spoon hard against the table top. "There must be something we can do about this!"

"I don't see what. If we confront Skyrm about this meddling, he may or may not admit it. If he does admit it, no doubt he'll simply claim that his actions were within his rights as a person with an interest in the estate. After all, if we fail to meet Aunt Audra's conditions, he'll inherit. I'm sure he wouldn't want us getting any unauthorized help in the quest from either Hester or the portrait."

"Who cares what he wants? The portrait doesn't belong to him and neither does Hester. He had no right to meddle with either one of them," I asserted firmly.

"No, he didn't." Severus looked as if he'd bitten into something bitter.

"Could we bring charges against him as owners of the portrait and employers of Hester?" I asked hopefully.

"If we were either, perhaps, but technically we aren't the undisputed owners of the portrait or Hester's employers. She's employed by the estate, and the portrait is part of the estate which is in a nebulous form until we either succeed or fail in our bid to fulfil Aunt Audra's ludicrous conditions. In fact, since Skyrm is next in line to inherit if we don't fulfil those conditions, he could always argue that the portrait is as likely to become his property as it is ours."

I glared down into my soup feeling frustrated. "Well, isn't that just lovely. Skyrm gets to toss all the roadblocks he wants in our way and there's nothing we can do to stop him."

"I don't think there's anything else Mr Skyrm can do to hinder our claiming the inheritance; besides, Aunt Audra did quite enough hindering with her ridiculously vague conditions. One might almost think she wanted Skyrm to inherit."

"Why do you say that?"I asked curiously.

"Just look at what we've been asked to do. Find some unnamed treasure and _take it to heart_. That could mean anything. Nothing we've been told gives us the slightest clue. There's nothing in the will to point us in any particular direction, nor is there any explanation given as to how we're to recognise the treasure once we've found it. How are we to even prove that we've met her conditions when the year is up? As far as we know, no one alive even knows what the damned treasure is. Except possibly Hester, and, as you pointed out, she's not talking."

"If we find what we think is the treasure we can demand that Skyrm release Hester to verify our claim," I said firmly.

"And if we're wrong? Once the spell is removed, there'll be nothing to stop her from telling us what the true treasure is. If she even knows the truth. Skyrm will know that as well. Unless we can find legal grounds to force the issue, he's not going to release the binding, and you know it."

Severus frowned darkly. "If you ask me, we've been set up to fail. All Skyrm needs to do is wait out the year and Aunt Audra's estate will fall into his hands, and he won't have to meet any ridiculous conditions to claim it. The way I see it, we might as well enjoy having the use of this house and the free allowance of 100 Galleons a month for the next twelve months and be satisfied with that. Anything else is a waste of time and energy better spent on other things."

I stared at Severus in disbelief. "You can't be serious! Aren't you even going to try to find the treasure? Miss Sparling was your aunt..."

"Great aunt."

"Okay, great aunt, regardless, she was your flesh and blood! Doesn't what she wanted matter at all to you?"

"Why should it?" snapped Severus. "I didn't know the woman. Having some family who gave a damn would have meant a lot to my Mum and me when I was young, but did Aunt Audra make even the slightest effort to be part of our lives? No. She remained a distant stranger. Under the circumstances, I don't see why I should care at all for what she wanted. If she really wanted me to have her bloody estate, then why didn't she just leave it to me outright? Why this stupid game of hide and seek? And why bring _you_ of all people into it?"

My heart sank when I heard the disgust in Severus's voice, but before I could respond, he'd risen to his feet and thrown his napkin down on the table.

"Go have your little treasure hunt if you want, Lupin, but I have better things to do with my time." Without a backward glance, Severus stalked out of the dining room leaving me to finish my meal alone.

xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

When I came upstairs for the night, I paused before entering my room and looked across the hall. Light glimmered beneath Severus's door, and a dark shadow could be seen alternately blocking and revealing the glow. He was pacing, probably still annoyed over our argument at dinner. I put a hand on the door to my room and pushed it open, yet I still didn't step inside. The last thing I wanted was to antagonize Severus any further, but I knew I wouldn't get any sleep until we got a few things out in the open.

So I took a deep breath, crossed the hall to Severus's door and knocked.

"Who is it?" The abrupt, clipped tone of his voice didn't bode well, but it was too late to turn back.

"It's Remus," I said softly. "May I speak to you for a moment?"

There was a long pause, then suddenly the door was flung open and Severus stood framed by the glow from his bedside lamp. He wore a long white nightshirt covered by a dark blue dressing gown. His feet were bare and he wore a look of suspicion on his face.

I thought he looked beautiful in the lamp's soft glow, but I was careful to keep any sign of my thoughts off my face. Why get the man any more upset than he already was? So I tried to maintain a neutral expression, but it wasn't easy... who knew he had such lovely feet? I'd always had a thing for feet, particularly those that were long and slender with neat toes and a bit of a high arch. His were perfect.

"What do you want, Lupin? Can't I even prepare for bed in peace? I do have to get up and go to work in the morning. Not all of us live lives of leisure, you know."

Ignoring the jibe, I dragged my attention away from Severus's feet and pressed on. "May I come in? Just for a moment?"

With a huff of annoyance, Severus stepped aside and ushered me into his room, closing the door behind me. Then he crossed his arms and leaned against it. As I hesitated, he said, "Well? What was so important that it couldn't wait until morning?"

"I wanted to apologise for upsetting you earlier. It honestly wasn't my intention. I was just so disturbed by this situation with Skyrm and Hester and the portrait. I'm sorry." I forced the words out, suddenly feeling like a tongue-tied teenager in his presence.

Severus grunted. "Fine, you're sorry. Good to know. Now if you don't mind..." He reached for the doorknob, but before he could open the door, I stumbled on.

"I also think we need to talk... to clear the air about a few things."

Severus straightened up and sighed. "Lupin, I really don't want to talk about this foolish treasure hunt any more tonight."

"No, Severus, not about the treasure. We need to talk about us," I said.

"Us? There is no us, Lupin." There was an odd catch in Severus's voice, but his face looked like thunder.

I could feel my face getting warm. Why was talking to Severus always so hard? I was never this flustered around anyone else. "No, that's not what I meant... I meant us living here together. About the fact that you have to share this inheritance with me. I know you don't like it. Heck, I know you don't like me, but..."

"Loathe."

"What?" I stopped, momentarily confused.

"Let's be precise, shall we," he said. "I don't merely dislike you, I loathe you."

I shook my head in denial. "No, you don't." I held up a hand to forestall the torrent of words Severus was about to utter. "Oh, I have no doubt you did once, but that was a long time ago. We were young and stupid and stuck in a situation where it was almost expected for us to fight. Let's face it, the Hogwarts' house system practically makes these stupid feuds inevitable and keeps them fuelled for years. But I really think you and I have managed to get passed all that by now, don't you? I mean, we're both adults, and we've managed to work together in a common cause for years."

"It wasn't as if I had any choice in the matter," Severus exclaimed hotly. "No one ever asked me if I wanted to work with you, and don't tell me how I feel. You have no idea how I feel about anything. If I say I loathe you, then I do."

"Oh." My heart sank into my stomach. Could this conversation possibly have gone any worse? I'd really hoped that if we got all our grievances out into the open that we could settle things and move on. Perhaps work together as Miss Sparling wanted us to, but as I looked at the set, angry, expression on Severus's face, I sadly realized that wasn't going to happen.

No matter how much time had passed, no matter that we'd fought together and almost died together for a cause we both believed in, in the end that didn't mean anything was ever going to change between us. No matter how deeply I wanted things to be different, if Severus didn't also want things to change, they never would.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer then," I said softly.

"Good. I'm tired and I want to go to sleep. It's been a long day and having to begin and end it with you hasn't made it any easier." He opened the door and stepped to the side waiting for me to walk through it.

I started to go then paused on the threshold. I turned back as a sudden thought struck me, and I threw it out there before I could examine it too carefully and possibly reject it out of hand. "Would it help if I gave up my rights to Miss Sparling's inheritance? I mean, I'll stay and fulfil the conditions and hunt for the treasure, but once we've found it, I'm willing to step aside and sign it all over to you. You're right, it really should be yours. I didn't know her, and she was your aunt, after all."

"Great aunt..." Severus's automatic correction lacked any real force.

"Right, sorry, great aunt."

He was watching me speculatively. I could almost see the thoughts whispering through his mind as fast as lightning, looking for the angle, the deception. "You'd really do that? Sign a document giving it all to me, once the conditions are met?"

His voice was full of doubt and suspicion, but that didn't faze me. I hardly expected him to take me at my word given the way he apparently felt about me. Still I'd made the offer and I stood by it. Perhaps signing over my right to inherit would give Severus a little peace of mind. The fact that I shared in the estate that he clearly believed should have come to him alone obviously gnawed at him, and maybe making him happy would make it easier to live with him. That certainly wouldn't be a bad thing.

"Sure. Why not?" I said. "My needs are small. I don't really require a fancy house or a fortune. What would I spend it on anyway?"

"A new wardrobe would be a good start."

I glanced down at my patched robe and grimaced. He had me there. "Well, yeah, there is that. So what do you say? Would it make you feel better if I let you have it all?"

"I'll have a contract drawn up tomorrow." The chill in his voice made me shiver, and I nodded a bit stiffly. "Good. Fine. Just let me know when you need me to sign."

"I'll be sure to do that. Goodnight, Lupin."

I opened my mouth to reply and found myself facing a closed door. With a sigh, I laid my hand and my forehead lightly against its surface and murmured, "Goodnight, Severus. Sleep well." Then I turned and went into my own room. Lighting a lamp, I looked around the cosy space. At least I'd have a nice, comfortable place to sleep for the next year.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: In Pursuit of Wolfsbane Potion**

I awoke the next morning with a headache radiating up from the base of my skull and a restless feeling in my bones that was far too familiar. Full moon was in three days. Now that I suddenly had some money, I knew should try to find an apothecary who carried the Wolfsbane Potion. I didn't expect it to be easy, though. The potion was so tricky to make and so expensive that most apothecaries didn't see the point of making and keeping it on hand, and I could hardly blame them. With the current employment laws making it almost impossible for any werewolf to hold down a decent job, very few of us could afford the potion even if we _could_ find it.

Some apothecaries would make it to order if you paid in advance, but if I'd wanted to do that, I should have commissioned it weeks ago. The truth was that if I didn't find any readymade and available today, I might as well wait until next month because it would be too late for it to be 100% effective. I got out of bed, stretched and padded across the room to raise the window blind. The day outside was grey and wet which matched my mood perfectly, but did nothing good for the pounding in my head.

When I'd come to Greycliffs, I'd really hoped that Severus and I could put our differences aside and begin a new chapter in our lives, perhaps find some common ground. Last night put an end to that hope. While there was no doubt this inheritance could mean a new beginning of sorts, Severus obviously saw no point in including me in it, and I saw no point in trying to change his mind. I'd never had much success trying to influence Severus.

Yet, even if I did sign my rights to any inheritance over to him, I still had a year ahead of me of having a nice place to live where everything I really needed would be provided. After the life I'd led, that was nothing to sneer at. Feeling slightly better, I turned away from the window and began to get dressed.

When I got down to breakfast, Hester told me that Severus had already eaten and left for the day. It didn't surprise me. He certainly seemed to put in long hours at the Ministry. At least this meant there was no chance that we'd have another argument when my head was beginning to pound and I felt as if I wanted to scratch my skin off.

On the other hand, I was always happy to have a chance to see Severus. The man was just so decorative. I knew that others didn't think so, but I always had. There was an indefinable something about him that I found endlessly intriguing. Being able to spend time with him at home when he would theoretically be more relaxed, had been what I'd looked forward to the most when I realised that the conditions of the will meant we'd be living together.

Ah, well, I couldn't really say I was surprised to have things work out differently than I'd have preferred. That's the way life usually tended to go for me. Besides, right now, I needed to put all thought of Severus aside anyway. I had something else much more important I had to deal with. Something I'd already put off for too long.

After I finished my breakfast, I got up and took my plate into the kitchen. When Hester saw me come into the room, she got up from the kitchen table where she'd been making what looked to me to be a shopping list of some sort and crossed to meet me. She didn't look happy.

"You didn't need to bring your plate in here, I'd have been out to clear after you finished." She had a scowl on her face that matched any that Severus could manage. To counter it, I gave her my very best smile.

"I know, but my mother always taught me to help clean up after a meal." I handed her the plate. "Still, that's not why I came. I need to talk to you about something."

She took the plate over to the sink, set it down and turned back to face me. Her eyes betrayed her curiosity as well as her watchfulness. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked. "If you want to change the way some things get done around here, I'd be willing to try, but I might as well warn you right from the start that I've been running this household, such as it is, the same way for more years than you've been alive, and I'm a bit old to be trying a lot of new things that may or may not work."

I shook my head and raised a hand to try to halt the flow of words. "No, Hester, it's nothing like that. I'm sure that you do a wonderful job keeping things running around here. I certainly don't intend to try to make any changes.

"I really should have discussed this with you yesterday, but with one thing and another, I actually didn't think about it until last night and by then I figured it might as well wait for morning. It's something that you need to know if you're trying to decide whether or not to stay on here with us."

She frowned and her fingers plucked nervously at the floral print apron she wore over her gown. "What is it then?"

"I never know the best way to approach this, so I guess I might as well just say it straight out."

"That's usually best," agreed Hester.

"I'm a werewolf."

As my words hung in the air, I waited to see what she'd say. When she just stared back at me and said nothing, I stumbled on. "The full moon is coming up in a few days. Now, there's nothing for you to worry about. I don't plan to be anywhere near here during the full moon, having those three nights a month when I can be away from the house is going to come in handy, at least this month."

She still hadn't said anything so I stopped and waited to see what her reaction would be. Some people didn't seem to mind, at least at first, when I told them what I was, but others were very upset. From looking at her, it was hard to know where Hester fell on the issue. She didn't _seem_ upset, but I couldn't be sure. Sometimes it took awhile for it to sink in. She might simply be too shocked to react right away.

"Hester, did you hear what I said?" I asked gently.

She nodded. "Yes, I heard you. I'm not deaf yet. You're a werewolf. You're not telling me anything I don't know."

Surprised, I asked, "You knew I was a werewolf? How could you know?"

"Miss Audra told me. She knew you'd be coming here after she died, and she wanted me to be prepared. She said you'd need someplace safe to stay when you change every month. We thought about trying to fix up a special room for you, but neither of us knew exactly what you'd need, so we figured we'd just leave things to you when you came. I think there're some rooms in the basement that might work. We can look at them now if you'd like."

This turn of events was a bit unexpected, and I didn't quite know what to say to her. "That's very thoughtful of you. Does it bother you, Hester? That I'm a werewolf?"

"Well, I can't say I liked the idea when Miss Audra told me about it, but I've sort of got used to it. She said you were a very nice young man, and that you'd always tried very hard not to hurt anyone, and it seems to me she was right on that score. She usually was. So I stopped worrying about it too much. You can't hurt anyone except when the moon is full, right?"

"No more than anyone else can," I said honestly. "I'm only a wolf when the moon is full, and as long as I'm restrained or at least kept away from others, I won't hurt anyone."

The housekeeper turned and headed for the door that I assumed led to the cellar. "Then I suppose we need to find some place that will work for you to go lock yourself up in when the full moon comes around."

I stopped her and shook my head. "There'll be time enough for that later. You see there's this potion I can take that would make things much safer for you and Severus, but I need to go and see if I can find some."

"What's it do? Stop you from becoming a wolf?" She regarded me curiously.

I smiled wistfully. "I wish it did. No, it lets me keep my own mind during the transformation. Normally, without the potion, I become the wolf in all ways. I don't even remember what happens to me during the full moon. The creature takes over completely, but when I take the Wolfsbane Potion, I remain in control. Physically I become the wolf, but mentally, I remain myself. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, I suppose it does. Why don't you just take this potion all the time? It sounds quite useful."

"I would take it all the time if I could afford to, but the potion is very expensive and can be hard to find. Not many apothecaries can make it. Until yesterday, I haven't had the means to afford it for a long time. It needs to be taken for a few days before the full moon to be completely effective. If I can't find any today, I might as well wait until after this full moon is over and try to get it made for next month now that I have the money to pay for it."

"Do you think you can find any?" she asked.

"Honestly, I don't know, but I have to try. If I can't find any today, then I won't stay here this full moon, I'll go to this place up north that I've been using. It's well protected and far from here, so you and Severus will be perfectly safe."

"Good luck," she said with a faintly uncertain smile.

I returned her smile. "Thanks, I'll take all the luck I can get."

xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox

Late that afternoon, I sat huddled by the fire in Miss Sparling's library listening to sleet rattle against the window panes and trying not to shiver. I'd had a long, cold, and unproductive day trying to track down some Wolfsbane Potion. I found a couple of shops where the brewer reluctantly said he'd be willing to make it for me for an outrageous, but now probably affordable, price so next month I should be all right. This month, however, I was out of luck. I really hadn't expected any other outcome, but I'd certainly hoped for one.

I gathered the warm woollen shawl I'd found in a closet, closer around my shoulders and held my icy feet nearer to the flames. At the very least, I should try to find myself a new pair of boots. The ones I had were unlikely to last the winter. I'd already patched the soles twice and the uppers once. Almost all of next month's allowance, not to mention all of every month's allowance after that would have to go toward Wolfsbane Potion, but I should be able to afford a pair of new boots and a warmer cloak with this month's money.

I'd have to save out enough money to buy a few Christmas presents, of course, particularly one for Teddy. Although I'd learned that he wasn't really my son, and the pain of that revelation was still as sharp and hard as the day I found out, I still loved the boy and always would. At least this year I could buy him something nice. Should I get something for Severus as well? I'd have to think about that one. I could go and look around tomorrow, but I knew that more likely I'd wait until after the full moon. I'd have more patience for shopping then and there was still time. The full moon was early this month.

As the warmth of the fire finally began to take effect and my shivering lessened, I closed my eyes and was just about to doze off, when the sound of the library door being flung open jarred me back to wakefulness.

"There you are. What on earth are you doing? If you get any closer to those flames, you'll catch on fire, and we can't afford to burn the bloody house down. You aren't cold, are you? I thought werewolves were supposed to be particularly warm blooded."

I sat up and turned to see Severus standing next to my chair and looking down on me in more ways than one. The man was wearing heavy, dark blue robes today and looked quite warm and utterly stunning. I allowed myself the indulgence of just staring at him for a moment before settling back into my chair once more.

"That's just a myth, as you no doubt know," I said. "Although the curse does tend to burn us out more quickly than ordinary folk, werewolves aren't really any more warm blooded than anyone else."

"Hmmm... a pity. For a moment I thought there might be at least one advantage to your condition."

"And how was your day, Severus?" I asked, refusing to rise to the bait he seemed to be dangling. I really didn't feel up to an argument.

"Productive." With an exultant tone to his voice, Severus dropped a scroll into my lap. "You may sign whenever you wish." Producing a quill with a flourish, he held it out to me.

"Sign?" Puzzled, I picked up the scroll and opened it.

"You haven't changed your mind, have you?" A dangerous note crept into that silken voice.

"Oh, the treasure..." Reading the scroll reminded me that I'd promised to sign over my share of the inheritance once we found it. "No, you don't need to worry; I haven't changed my mind."

As he seemed to relax once more, I got to my feet, took the quill and crossed to a small writing desk by the window. Seating myself, I read through the document as quickly as I could. It wasn't long. Basically it stated that I'd abide by the will's conditions for the next year and when, not if, I noted, we found the treasure, I'd give it all to Severus. Blunt and to the point, just what I'd expect from him. What I hadn't expected was the clause at the end that said if I didn't abide by the conditions in the will and remain in the house for the next year, I'd have to pay Severus a penalty of 10,000 galleons.

I looked up in surprise. "10,000 galleons? Where do you think I could possibly come up with that sort of money if I give up the right to inherit?" I asked, quite reasonably I thought. Surely he couldn't be serious.

"It's only an issue if you refuse to abide by the conditions of the will. Do as you've promised and remain here with me for the next year and you'll owe me nothing, whether we find the treasure or not. Call this... insurance, if you will. It provides you with an incentive to keep your word."

"I don't need an incentive to keep my word, Severus," I said sadly. "Besides, why would I give up a soft comfortable bed, spending money, and Hester's good cooking any earlier than I have to?"

Severus shrugged. "I can't think of a reason now, but something might come up over the course of the next year. I simply want to insure that you keep your promise, that's all. Now do you still intend to sign or have you changed your mind?"

I looked back down at the scroll. I fully intended to keep my word, so the penalty clause really didn't change anything, but there was no getting around the fact that its inclusion hurt... a lot. Severus had never made any secret of the fact that he didn't trust me, so I really shouldn't be surprised that he felt the need to include such a clause, but I'd have felt so much better about all of this if he hadn't. Feeling more than a trifle let down, I picked up the quill and signed where the document indicated that I should.

I let the scroll roll up tightly once more before picking it up and offering it back. "There you go. Just as you wanted."

Taking the scroll, Severus tucked it into an inside pocket of his robe. "Thank you."

Then he moved closer to the fire and warmed his hands over the flickering flames. I left the writing desk and went back to my chair. Stooping to retrieve my shawl, I re-wrapped myself in its folds before sitting down once more.

"Hester said dinner will be ready shortly," I tossed into the silence.

Severus nodded and raked his gaze over me. "Good. I'm definitely ready to eat."

Quiet settled in around us and I felt my mind just beginning to drift off again when Severus spoke once more. "Now that you have a little money, may I assume that you'll be purchasing some new clothes instead of walking around looking as if you're wearing someone else's cast offs. That robe you're wearing is far too big for you, and the hem is positively ragged."

I looked down and my fingers smoothed the thin brown robe across my knees. "Actually I think this _was_ someone else's robe originally. Kingsley's perhaps. Yes, that's right. He didn't need it anymore so he offered it to me, and I couldn't afford not to take it. I suppose it is a bit big, but it's comfortable. I do plan to do a bit of shopping with my allowance money, but I need boots and a warm cloak more than a robe. It's not as if I have anywhere special to go, and I need to save up my allowance money for more important things."

"What do you consider to be more important? Your meals are being provided. You have a warm, comfortable place to live. What else do you need?" asked Severus.

"I'm surprised you can't guess, Severus, considering that for many years you were the one who supplied this particular need for me. I need to buy Wolfsbane Potion, and as you well know, it's neither easy to find nor particularly inexpensive. I'll be lucky to find what I need for any less than the entire month's allowance. As it is, I wasn't able to find any at all for this month's full moon even though I spent the entire day crisscrossing the country checking all the apothecaries I could find."

Severus looked surprised. "I wasn't aware you didn't have access to Wolfsbane any longer."

"How on earth did you think I could get hold of any?" I asked, eyeing him curiously. "You know I can't make it myself."

Severus snorted shortly. "No, I know the extent of your potion making skills, and they're dismal at best. I suppose I assumed, with all of your friends and contacts, that..." He hesitated.

"That I'd find someone to get it for me? Who for instance? You're the only one of my acquaintances who's capable of making the stuff as far as I know. I don't sponge off people if I can help it. I hope you don't think I've enjoyed living off the largesse of others for all these years because I haven't. There've been more times than I can count when I've been forced to take help from people I know, but if I'm given a choice, I always prefer to make my own way. Unfortunately that isn't always possible, thanks to the anti-werewolf employment laws."

"I know that the Minister does intend to make changes in those laws, but now isn't..."

I cut him off, having become pretty tired of the Ministry party line. "Isn't the time... Yes, I've heard that. I hope I'll still be around when that magical time finally rolls around, but for now, I'm still prevented from getting any sort of job in wizarding society and without an income, Wolfsbane Potion is out of the question. And before you ask, let me just say that it's not much easier to get a job in Muggle society. Few employers like to give someone a day or two off every month at slightly different times, and jobs that are that flexible tend not to pay all that well."

Severus frowned but said nothing.

I sighed and stared into the fire, making a concerted effort to rein in my annoyance. The hateful employment laws weren't his fault, and I certainly didn't want him to think I was blaming him for anything. I really wanted to get along, not antagonise the man. After a pause, I looked up at him again, reluctantly deciding that I might as well ask. The worst that could happen was that he'd sneer at me again and goodness knows I'd had plenty of practice handling that over the years.

"I probably shouldn't ask, but you don't happen to have any Wolfsbane Potion lying around, do you? You make the best and most effective potion I've ever had. I always felt fortunate to have you making it for me for so long."

Severus looked a bit startled at the compliment. "No. I haven't spent much time in a potions lab over the last few years. I suppose I could ask the dolt who currently runs the Ministry Lab, but I seriously doubt that the man is capable of brewing anything truly complicated. Concocting Veritaserum appears to stretch his meagre abilities to the limit, and I've had to make Polyjuice up myself on the few occasions my people have required any."

I was disappointed but not surprised. "I see. I've asked Kingsley about possibly starting a Wolfsbane distribution program through the Ministry as a gesture of goodwill to the werewolves and a safety measure for the population in general, but he's always put me off whenever the subject has come up."

"I know that he's thought about it," offered Severus. "He mentioned it to me, actually, but now..."

"Isn't the time," I chanted. "Right. If I had a Galleon for each time I've heard that, I'd have been able to afford the potion on my own long ago."

Severus just frowned more deeply and an awkward silence filled the room again.

Finally, I broke it once more. "You know, Severus, I don't even know what you do at the Ministry. I assumed it had something to do with the Potions Lab, but if you say you haven't done much brewing since the war ended, then you must be doing something else. What is it?"

"I head up a very exclusive team that's hunting down the last of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters and sympathizers." A look of satisfaction crossed Severus's features.

Surprised, I said, "I didn't realize that there were any more of them out there to hunt down."

"You weren't supposed to. Do you think information like that is something the Ministry wants bandied about? It would cause a panic. There are only a very few left anyway. I have an excellent team in place now, and if all goes according to plan, the last of the miscreants should be in custody by the end of the month."

"That's good to hear. So you're in charge of the Aurors then?" My knowledge of the Ministry hierarchy was sketchy at best.

"No, my office works outside the influence of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I didn't want any of those people constantly looking over my shoulder, making demands that would hamper the effectiveness of my work. I knew the people we're looking for, and I knew where to find them, so as a condition of accepting employment with the Ministry I demanded to be given a free hand. They needed me and they knew it, so naturally they agreed. I handpicked my team, and we've been very effective in tracking down and incarcerating the last of the Dark Lord's followers."

"Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that you've been successful, and that you'll have them all in custody shortly. It sounds like you've done a great job," I said sincerely.

"I've done my best." There was a hint of challenge in his tone.

"No one who knew you would expect anything less," I stated quietly.

Once more Severus looked surprised at the comment but didn't respond. The room filled with a silence that felt a little less awkward until Hester suddenly appeared at the door and announced that dinner was ready. As I got up to follow the housekeeper downstairs to the dining room, Severus spoke again.

"You needn't waste your allowance paying for inferior Wolfsbane Potion. Now that I know you need it again, I'll be willing to supply it for you," offered Severus.

I paused at the door and turned to him in surprise. "You will? Will you have the time to make it? I know how time consuming it can be and how busy you are." Goodness knows he'd made a big enough issue of both those things at various times.

Severus waved that aside. "I can easily do it in the evenings. With a house this size it shouldn't be a problem to find a room that can be turned into a potions laboratory, and I confess, I've missed the work."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." I smiled, touched that Severus would make such a magnanimous offer. He wasted no time in trying to disabuse me of the notion that he was being generous on my account.

"I'm not doing it just for your benefit, Lupin. I live here, too, and I want to be certain you're safe to be around. The best way for me to assure that is to provide your potion myself just as I did at Hogwarts. I'll expect you to pay for the ingredients from your monthly allowance. I trust you have somewhere safe to go this month because I won't have you here during the full moon."

"I've been using an old mausoleum in an isolated cemetery up north," I explained. "It's a long way from here and perfectly safe."

"Good. I'll want you to give me explicit instructions on how to find it before you go. You can only be absent from the house for three nights or we forfeit the inheritance. Since you've been known to lie around moaning for days after a full moon, I shall want to know where to find you so at the very least you can do your moaning here where you won't jeopardise anything important."

As I followed Severus out the door, I couldn't suppress a small smile. "Of course, Severus. I don't want to risk losing the inheritance any more than you do."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Transitions**

Once the pain finally ebbed the first thing I noticed was the cold. Why was it so cold? It hadn't been that bad when I'd taken my clothes off the night before, but now I could feel my body trembling much more than usual and I couldn't seem to stop it. I opened my eyes and tried to get up, but the pain was back, blinding and sharp. I sank back to the icy stones and closed my eyes until it faded a bit. Then I opened them again. Everything was grey and dim. I lifted a shaking hand from the floor and brought it to my face. It was wet and sticky.

I tried to figure out why, but my mind receded from the question and the grey world faded to black once more.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

There were voices...

"_What an awful lonely place to come to."_

"_I don't imagine he had much choice. Not even Lupin would pick such a dismal retreat if he had somewhere else to go."_

"_He has friends, doesn't he? Why wouldn't one of them offer him a place? Are they all that afraid of him?"_

"_I doubt they'd admit it, but they probably are, if they have any sense. I don't imagine he'd ask, though. He's always been a stubborn fool."_

"_I get the feeling he thinks the same about you, and from what I've seen, I'm thinking you're both right. Merlin, it's cold out here."_

"_You didn't have to come you know. I told you I could handle it."_

I was drifting again, I could feel it. I felt a little warmer though...

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox **

"_Gods! Look at all the blood! Is he dead?"_

The voices were back. Louder and more annoying. I tried to open my eyes, but when I did all I could see was a blur of light and dark shifting shapes so I gave up and closed them again.

"_Not yet. He must have hit an artery to lose this much blood. Help me get his mouth open. I need to get this potion into him."_

"_He feels clammy. Pulse is pretty weak." _

I felt pressure at my neck and someone was trying to open my mouth. I considered trying to fight them off, but I couldn't summon up the energy. My eyes rolled open again and I caught a glimpse of a figure looming over me like the shadow of death. Maybe it was finally my time to go. Figures somehow it would be just as I was on the edge of having a more comfortable life for awhile. Fate has never been on my side.

Something wet was drizzled into my mouth and I choked, but it slipped down my throat anyway. It burned on the way down and I began to feel warmer. More liquid was dripped into my mouth and I swallowed it down more willingly this time, seeking the warmth it produced. I'd begun to think I'd never feel really warm again.

I could feel myself drifting away once more. If this was death, it was at least a more pleasant way to go than many I'd narrowly avoided in the past.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

The next time I opened my eyes, sunlight was streaming through a window and I was lying in my comfortable bed at Greycliffs. I blinked my eyes and watched dust motes dance in the shafts of light as I tried to piece together the fragments of memory that flitted through my mind in a less than coherent fashion. Very little of it made sense, though it was clear that something had gone wrong with my most recent transformation. I remembered being bitterly cold, in pain, and almost overwhelmed by the smell of blood. And there were voices, a man's and a woman's...

I shifted in the bed and felt a twinge of pain in my left arm. Drawing it out from underneath the covers, I could see that it was swaddled in bandages. Probably I'd cut myself either during the transformation or when the wolf was in control. Without the Wolfsbane Potion to keep him in check, the wolf often turned to self-destructive behaviours when he wasn't allowed to roam free to seek the prey he was driven to find. Usually the harm he did wasn't severe, however. As driven as the wolf was to find prey, his sense of self preservation tended to mitigate any damage he might do.

As I struggled upright in the bed, my head began to swim, but otherwise I just felt tired. A feeling I was very used to after a full moon. Just as I swung my legs over the side of the bed and was attempting to stand, the door to the room opened and Hester came in bearing a cup of what smelled like chicken soup on a tray. My mouth watered at the heavenly aroma, but before I could say anything, Hester beat me to it.

She set her tray down on a small table near the door and bore down on me like a thunderstorm. "Just what do you think you're doing? Slide those legs back under those covers right now. You need to rest. If you get up and try wandering around now, you'll likely just fall on your face, and I don't have the strength to lift you."

"Hester," I protested. "I'm quite all right."

"All right, are you? I don't think so. You lost a lot of blood during that transformation of yours. Mr Severus had to give you something to build it up again, not that you wanted to take it. You fought us like a wildcat."

"I did?" I couldn't remember any of what she was saying.

"Yes, you did! You were delirious. Fortunately you were also weak as a newborn babe, so Mr Severus was able to get that potion into you anyway. You didn't make it easy though. It took both of us to get you back here from that horrid cemetery, and I've been spooning liquids into you for two days now while you burned with fever and called me names. You're a rotten patient, if you don't mind me saying so."

"Two days?" I sank back into the bed and allowed Hester to pull the covers over me again. I lay there meekly trying to sort it all out as she placed a cool hand on my forehead and grunted in satisfaction.

"Fever's finally broken. That's a relief anyway. Are you hungry? You need to build up your strength."

I nodded and looked at her sheepishly. "I called you names?"

She snorted and went to get the soup as I pushed myself up in the bed once more. "I knew it was only the fever talking so don't you go worrying about that. I sure am glad you're on the mend though. I never did like nursing and I had quite enough of it taking care of poor Miss Audra."

She laid the tray across my lap and I wasted no time picking up my spoon and digging in. It tasted divine!

"Oh, Hester, this is wonderful," I exclaimed. I couldn't remember anything ever tasting quite so good.

She stood there with her arms crossed and watched me eat, a smile of satisfaction on her lips. "Getting your appetite back is always the best sign that you're on the mend. Mr Severus will be pleased. He's been worried about you, too."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Severus was worried about me?" I asked doubtfully.

She frowned. "Why does that surprise you?"

I shrugged and continued to ladle soup into my mouth, pausing to speak between spoonfuls. "I don't know if you've noticed, but Severus doesn't really like me very much. We've never been close. Actually the word he used to describe his feelings for me was loathe." I felt a twinge of pain at the memory and ruthlessly forced it away.

"That's why it was such a surprise to both of us that Miss Sparling included me in this inheritance. As I recall, she said in her recording that she'd kept an eye on us over the years, you'd think she'd have caught on to the fact that we didn't get along."

"Hmmph. I'm sure Miss Audra had her reasons," said Hester firmly. "And I don't think Mr Severus dislikes you as much as you think he does. He's been working real hard to make up some potions that would help you."

I sat back and sighed, placing my spoon down next to the now empty bowl. "The soup was great, Hester, thank you."

She nodded and stepped forward to remove the tray. As she straightened, I spoke up again. "I'm not surprised that Severus has tried to help me recover, Hester, but it doesn't have anything to do with liking me."

"Oh? Why else would he work so hard, setting up a potions lab in the basement and taking time away from his important job to make these healing potions for you?"

"The inheritance," I said firmly. "He can't claim it without me. If I don't live here for the next twelve months, he forfeits this house and all the money. Even though I've agreed to hand over my share to him when we find the treasure, he still needs me to fulfil the other conditions of the will. He'd lose it all if I died now. Naturally he wants me to recover."

Hester frowned. "What do you mean you signed over your share of the inheritance to Mr Severus?"

"Just what I said. I signed a legal document promising to give him my share once we find the treasure."

"Why would you do that?" Hester cried. Her face was suddenly as pale as the sheer curtains that hung at the windows.

I shrugged. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. What difference does it make?"

"It makes a lot of difference! Miss Audra wanted you both to share in the inheritance. It meant a lot to her that you'd both share equally. She always talked about that. It made her happy thinking that you'd be happy here together." She shook her head. "I don't understand. Miss Audra was never wrong, but you and Mr Severus... you're nothing like she said you'd be."

"What do you mean, what she said we'd be?" I asked, curious as to what Miss Sparling might have said about us.

Hester stared at me in silence for a moment then shook her head. "Nevermind. I shouldn't talk about that. You shouldn't have signed away your rights to... your rights_,_ though."

"Is Severus here?" Perhaps he'd know why Hester was upset over my signing away my rights to the inheritance.

"No, he's gone to the Ministry. He said he had something very important going on today and couldn't miss it. He'll be back by dinner time. I'll send him up when he comes. You just lie down and get some more rest."

As she left, closing the door softly behind her, I did as she suggested, surprised to find that I was feeling a bit sleepy once more.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

"It's a Christmas present for Teddy. Why does that surprise you? Why did you think I wanted to see you?" I asked.

Dora had agreed to meet me in this coffee shop off of Diagon Alley a couple of days after I was back on my feet again so we could talk about Teddy. Yet now, she sat across the table from me wearing a perplexed expression on her face that I didn't understand. I thought I'd made myself very clear about Teddy before we divorced. Even though I'd accepted that the boy wasn't my son, I still wanted to have some contact with him.

After all, I'd been there when he was born, I'd cared for and about him for the first year of his life, believing that he was mine. You can't just turn off feelings like that as easily as you can turn off a lamp. At the time we'd discussed this, she'd seemed to agree, but now, I had a sinking feeling that she'd had a change of heart.

She fiddled with the bow on the package I'd set before her and bit her lip. "I wasn't sure just why you wanted to get together," she admitted finally.

"Dora," I said as calmly as I could. "When we divorced, you promised me that I wouldn't be completely cut out of Teddy's life."

She nodded. "I know, I know, but..."

"But what? It's not as if I'm trying to take him away from you. I just want to give him a present for Christmas... maybe see him for an hour or two. Is that really so much to ask?"

"No, it isn't but..." She sighed. "Look, seeing him isn't going to be possible. We're going to Romania for Christmas. Charlie and I are trying to get back together, and he wants to get to know his son."

I felt a sudden stab of pain and some indication of my feelings must have shown on my face because she reached out and grabbed one of my hands, squeezing it firmly. "Remus, try to understand. Teddy's already confused because you aren't around anymore. Getting presents from you will only confuse him more. I want him to know his father, his real father. He's too little to understand what's really going on, but if Charlie and I can make a go of it this time, he'll have a stable family again. I just don't want him trying to understand why he has two fathers."

"And you want to be sure that the man he thinks of as his father is his real father. Is that it?"I asked reluctantly.

She nodded and squirmed in her seat. "I just don't want him any more confused. He's just a little boy."

I sighed and stared out the window at the people walking briskly through the frosty air on their Christmas errands and tried to figure out how to respond. Dora wanted Teddy to bond with his real father, and she didn't want me to get in the way of that. As much as I didn't want to, I could understand her position; nobody said I had to like it, though.

"All right, Dora. I won't ask to see Teddy any more, but do give him the gift, please. You can say it's from you if it'll make you feel better. It's just a small wooden train set. He may be a little too young for it, but he likes trains, and I think he'll enjoy it soon enough. I'd really like him to have it."

She nodded and her eyes glistened oddly as if she was holding back tears. "All right... I'll give it to him and tell him it's from you."

"Thank you. I hope you both have a good trip... and a good Christmas."

"Thanks," she said with a timid smile. "I hope you'll have a good Christmas, too. I heard about your inheritance. I'm glad to see you have a bit of good luck. You deserve it. Must be strange sharing a house with Snape, though."

"It's all right. So far we've managed to get along." I stood up. "I should be going."

She jumped to her feet as well. "Yeah, I should, too. My mum is staying with Teddy, but I told her I wouldn't be gone too long."

I tossed some coins on the table next to our untouched cups of coffee, and we left the shop together. Out on the sidewalk, she hesitated for a moment before reaching up and brushing her lips gently against my cheek. Then with a quick wave, she walked off down the street clutching the brightly wrapped box under one arm.

I simply stood and watched until she turned a corner and was lost from view. Then I shoved my hands into my pockets, turned around and headed in the opposite direction. For awhile I just walked, not paying any particular attention to where I was going. So far it hadn't been a very good month for me.

First I'd signed away my rights to the inheritance, hoping to make Severus happier and easier to live with as a result, though I couldn't say my gesture had really made any difference that I could see. Even though, according to Hester, he'd worked hard on potions to help me recuperate from my rather close call, he still brushed off my thanks and avoided spending too much time with me.

Then there was the close call itself. Not that I really remembered what happened, but it was the opinion of both Hester and Severus that I'd come close to dying, so I suppose I had to accept the truth of that since they were much more in a position to know than I was.

And now I'd truly lost my son for good. I'd realized as I watched Dora walk away with my gift, its bright red ribbon bobbing farewell, that even though I knew the truth, I'd never really stopped thinking of Teddy as mine. Now I didn't have any other choice. My last tie to my marriage and my family was gone for good. I was alone again. It wasn't a good feeling, particularly not at Christmas.

I stopped and looked up. Light snow had begun to fall. As I shivered and pulled my shabby cloak more tightly around me, I remembered that I'd been intending to buy myself a new one with the money I had left after buying the train. Across the street from where I stood was a men's clothing shop, and there was a lovely warm looking cloak in the window.

My mother used to go and buy herself something new when she was feeling sad. She called it retail therapy. I think she heard about it on some Muggle talk show. Of course, we'd never had much money so her purchases were small ones, but she said that it was the act of being good to yourself that really made the difference. Deciding that it certainly wouldn't hurt to go and look, not to mention that it was likely to be much warmer inside the shop than standing there on the corner, I crossed the pavement and went inside.

There were several other customers and all the clerks were occupied, so I began to browse on my own. The cloak in the window was nice, but there were several others inside that I liked even more. The prices were a bit steep, but not more than I could now afford, and I'd just about decided on one in a dark blue colour when my eyes fell on something else.

One of the mannequins toward the back of the shop was draped in a beautiful cashmere scarf in swirling shades of muted green and silver. I put out a hand and touched it and was immediately drawn in by its softness. It occurred to me that I'd never made up my mind whether to get Severus a present for Christmas or not. I could easily see him wearing this lovely scarf. Who wouldn't enjoy the feeling of that warm softness around his neck on a chilly day?

The counter beneath the mannequin was strewn with a selection of warm fur-lined leather gloves, soft as butter to the touch and pleasantly warm to slip on. Each pair was charmed with a sizing spell which would ensure an excellent fit for every customer.

I picked up a pair of black ones thoughtfully. Although Severus had a lovely warm looking cloak, his gloves had looked a bit worn. So a pair of new ones, along with the scarf, would make a perfect present, and didn't I owe him something for saving my life? Oh, he brushed off my thanks at the time, reminding me that he'd just been safeguarding his inheritance as I told Hester he would. However, he'd still gone to a lot of trouble, making all the needed potions himself instead of simply sending Hester to buy what was wanted at the closest apothecary. He hadn't snapped at me as much as I expected him to either.

Making up my mind in an instant, I unwound the scarf and added it to the black gloves, then, on impulse I picked up another pair of gloves in a warm shade of brown. Hester deserved a Christmas gift, too.

Clutching my selections, I headed for the counter. I wouldn't be able to afford the cloak as well, but that could wait a while longer if necessary. The thought of seeing Severus's surprised face on Christmas morning when he received a gift he'd never have expected, brought a smile to my face. Apparently it wasn't necessary to buy something for yourself in order to put this retail therapy to work. All it took was making a purchase that made you happy.

Giving Severus a Christmas gift felt like the right thing to do, so I left the shop feeling much better than I had going in. Perhaps Christmas wouldn't be so bad after all.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Trimming the Tree**

As I lowered the Christmas tree to the library floor, I heaved a sigh and wiped my brow. Although I'd used magic to cut the tree and bring it across the grounds and into the house, it was still a big relief to finally get it where I wanted it. Levitating the unwieldy thing up that curving staircase had been harder than I thought it would be. Hagrid always made moving them, even without magic, look easy, and he'd been moving trees three or four times as big as this one. Of course, he was three or four times my size, too, so that no doubt made the difference.

I looked around the room for the perfect spot to put it and decided that the corner between the fireplace and the window would probably work best. I'd need some sort of stand to put it in, though. Surely there must be one in the house somewhere. I turned around to seek out Hester, my font of all Greycliffs information, only to find her standing in the doorway watching me with a look of faint bemusement on her face.

"Hester! Good, I was just about to come looking for you. Is there a Christmas tree stand anywhere in the house?" I asked.

"There's probably one somewhere in the attic. Miss Audra hadn't bothered decorating for Christmas for years. Not since her sister, Miss Imogene died."

"Imogene was Severus's grandmother, wasn't she?" I asked. I was still trying to get the various Sparlings straight in my mind. It wasn't easy since I'm never met any of them.

"Yes, that's right." Hester nodded. Then she gestured toward the tree on the floor. "Why did you bring that thing all the way up here? Couldn't you have set it up in the morning room or the front parlour? That's what the family used to do."

I smiled. "Those rooms are so cold and formal and we never use them. I wanted the tree to be somewhere we spent time. Besides..." I glanced at the portrait over the fireplace where Audra Sparling's image watched us closely. "I thought Miss Sparling might enjoy having something pretty and colourful to look at for a change. It must get so dull looking at the same thing day after day. She can't even go and visit in a different picture, being tied the way she is."

Hester gave me a warm smile and her eyes glistened behind her spectacles. "That's very thoughtful of you," she said, and the portrait managed to look pleased as well, despite her bonds.

"Would there possibly be any ornaments up in the attic, too?" I asked hoping for an affirmative answer. I suddenly realized that I only had one of two things of my own, not nearly enough to fill a whole tree.

Hester nodded. "Yes, there are some big boxes with all the Christmas decorations in them. I don't know what shape things will be in. As I said, they haven't been used in years, but they're still up there. Would you like me to show you where they are?"

"That'd be great. I'd like to have the tree up and decorated before Severus gets home. Maybe it'll put him in a better mood."

"He didn't seem to be in a very good mood when he left this morning," Hester agreed. "Any idea why? He seemed happy enough earlier in the week."

"I don't know. I heard him talking to someone in the fire last night, though I don't know who it was. Perhaps that affected his mood." I gazed at the soft green tree thoughtfully. "At Hogwarts, he always made a show of disliking all the decorations that Albus used to insist on, but more than once I caught him looking at one of the sparkling trees with a smile on his face. Of course he wiped it off as soon as anyone else showed up, but it made me think he was probably just putting on a show of disliking the holiday. I certainly hope I'm right. I don't want to anger him unnecessarily."

"You live here, too, you know," said Hester. "If you want a tree, I don't see why he should object, especially as you aren't asking him to do any of the work."

"Maybe I should. Maybe he'd enjoy helping to decorate the tree." A warm, domestic image of the two of us decorating the tree together flitted through my mind, making me smile wistfully.

Hester shrugged. "You can ask him if you want. Once we've found something to decorate it with."

"You're right. First things first," I said.

Just then, a thin yellow tabby wandered into the room, pausing to rub against Hester's leg as he passed her on his way to sniff at the tree.

"Where did that cat come from?" I asked. "I haven't seen any pets around here."

"That's Richard V. He was Miss Audra's. He comes and goes as he likes. He hasn't come upstairs since she died. He never was one to take to strangers so I'm not surprised you haven't seen him."

I watched the cat nosing around amongst the branches, clearly enjoying the interesting smells.

"Richard V? Why is he called that?" I wondered as I watched the cat climb onto a branch and push his nose in closer to the trunk sniffing avidly.

"Miss Audra's cats were always named Richard, and this one is the fifth one she had. Shall we go and see about that stand and the ornaments?" Clearly Hester was done talking about the cat.

"Sure." I pulled my attention away from Richard V and his investigations and followed Hester out the door of the library. I hadn't yet had a chance to get up to the attic, and I was eager to see it. I knew there might be clues up there to the treasure, and I hoped that, later this week, I'd finally get a chance to start a systematic search of the entire house.

Hester crossed the hallway to the stairs and began to climb. I followed her up past the unused rooms on the second floor to a single closed door that led to the attic. Hester opened the door and we climbed more stairs into darkness. A small table stood next to the head of the stairs with several unlit lamps on it. Hester took one and lit it with her wand, then held it high.

In the flickering light, I looked around at a jumble of shadowy shapes. The cast-off belongings of generations of Sparlings were piled haphazardly from one end of the huge space to the other, divided only by the narrowest of pathways. I realized with a sinking feeling that it could take months simply to get through all this stuff, nevermind whatever was lurking in the rest of the house. Would a year be long enough to find the treasure?

While I was gaping at the massive accumulations of the Sparling family, Hester was turning in a circle and muttering to herself. Finally she nodded and struck off into the mess. Not wanting to lose track of her, she was shorter than any of the piles, I kept on her heels. We wended our way through well trodden paths until we came to a stack of boxes that didn't look quite as dust laden as most of their neighbours.

Hester smiled and nodded toward the pile. "These should contain the Christmas decorations. I'm pretty sure there'll be a stand in there, too."

"These three boxes here?" I asked indicating the stack beside her. I wanted to be sure before I wasted my time moving the wrong stuff.

"I think so. Most of the garlands and wreaths used to decorate the exterior of the house were thrown out long ago, but the things for the tree should be in these."

"Okay." I took out my wand and levitated the boxes. Then we wended our way back to the stairway where Hester extinguished the lantern, and we went back downstairs.

As soon as we got back to the library, I immediately set the boxes down and began to open them. The first box contained the desired stand for the tree and a beautifully preserved wreath that I thought would look very nice on the front door.

The second box, larger than the first, contained several smaller boxes full of ornaments, but the third box, the smallest of the three, didn't contain anything pertaining to Christmas decor. Instead it was full of photograph albums. I picked one up at random and began to look through it. Hester peered over my shoulder, pointed to a picture of a young, rather severe looking couple, and exclaimed, "Oh, that's Mr Mordecai and Miss Eleanor. They were Miss Audra's parents."

"Not the happiest pair of people I've ever seen," I said thoughtfully.

Hester shrugged. "Miss Eleanor was a sweet woman from all I ever heard. I never met her; she died when her children were quite young. Mr Mordecai was a terror, particularly once Miss Eleanor wasn't around anymore to moderate his behaviour. He ran this house and everyone in it with an iron fist. He and Miss Audra argued about almost everything. She was never as compliant as Miss Imogene, but Mr Mordecai insisted on continuing to try to make her bend to his will. It never worked though, no matter what he did."

I closed the book reluctantly and set it back in the box. I'd have to look through them more carefully at another time. I was very curious to get more of a glimpse into Audra Sparling's family, but right at that moment I needed to get the tree put up. The photographs were a lucky find. It could be very useful to find out more about the people who used to live at Greycliffs.

As I closed the box, Hester said, "Do you want me to take those back upstairs?"

I picked the box up and headed for a table in the corner where it would be accessible but out of the way.

"No, if you don't have any objections, I'd like to look through these later. Severus might find them interesting, too. It is his family."

Hester nodded. "Whatever you say. If you don't need me anymore, I should get started on dinner."

I smiled at her. "Great! I'm getting rather hungry."

"You eat more than any person I've ever met, yet you certainly aren't overweight," she declared with a hint of amusement in her tone. "Do you want me to bring up some tea and biscuits to tide you over until dinner?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"No, I was planning to have a cup myself before I started on my pies."

"Pies?" I liked the sound of that. Hester was a marvellous cook. Even more than the soft bed, I'd really miss her cooking when my year here was up.

"I thought I'd make a couple of pies out of the last of the apples," she said.

"That sounds great," I said with enthusiasm.

Hester smiled and headed for the door. "It's rather nice to cook for someone who appreciates my efforts again. Poor Miss Audra wasn't eating enough to keep a bird alive there toward the end. I'll be back with the tea shortly."

After Hester left, I returned to the tree. Setting up the tree stand and levitating the tree into it took no time at all, and I was sitting on the floor in front of it looking through the box of ornaments when the door was flung open and Severus stomped inside.

I glanced at the clock on the mantel and was surprised to see that it was barely three o'clock. Severus was never home this early, and from the thunderous look on his face, something bad must have happened. I didn't really want to ask, but I felt I had to.

"You're home early, Severus. Is everything all right?"

He glared at me angrily. "Does it look as if everything is all right?" he snapped.

"No, you seem very upset. Something happen at the Ministry?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as neutral as possible.

He gave a clipped, humourless laugh. "Yes, something _happened_ at the Ministry. I was tossed aside like a worn out shoe, that's what!"

"What? Why?" I was shocked. Everything had seemed to be going so well for Severus. He was certainly doing vital work, what could possibly have gone wrong?

"Because our beloved, saintly Minister for Magic is a short-sighted cretin, that's why!" He stormed across the room to a table where he'd placed a decanter of brandy a few days before. Severus and I had adopted Miss Sparling's custom of leaving the ground floor rooms untouched and spent our evenings in the upstairs library, a much warmer and cheerier room to sit in than anything in the frigid downstairs.

Grabbing the crystal decanter in one hand and pulling out its stopper, he poured himself a very generous glassful of the amber liquid and wasted no time in tossing back the entire thing. Then he poured a second, smaller amount, threw himself into a chair by the fire and stared into the flames as he drank more slowly this time.

I waited until he seemed a bit calmer then I asked softly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Severus turned away from the flames and glared at me, a muscle jumped rhythmically in his clenched jaw. I said nothing more, simply looked back and waited. Eventually my silence paid off and he began to speak.

"I told you that earlier this week we caught the last two Death Eaters, Williamson and Woodley."

I nodded, not wanting to interrupt. At the time, I'd wondered fleetingly if he'd pursued Death Eaters in alphabetical order, but somehow I managed to keep myself from asking.

"Their capture went like clockwork. My team operated like the well oiled machine they've become under my guidance. We were all elated that we'd finally accomplished our goal, and we were looking forward to the next challenge. Of which I foolishly assumed there'd be many. After all, Death Eaters aren't the only miscreants out there. Since we'd more than proved our worth this past year and a half, it seemed logical to me that we'd be allowed to continue on, but our esteemed Minister doesn't see it that way.

"When I went into work today, I discovered that my team had been disbanded! My people, whose skills I had honed to perfection, had been re-assigned back to the departments they'd come from. I was furious! I stormed into Kingsley's office and demanded an explanation, and do you know what he told me?"

I shook my head, although I could guess. It didn't seem prudent to say that I assumed he'd been told that he and his team had performed a valuable service and done it well, but now that the job was done, it was time to move on. Still, it didn't make sense that Kingsley would fire Severus. Surely if his people were still of value to other departments, there were other things Severus could contribute as well.

"He had the gall to shake my hand and congratulate me on a job well done. As if I was finished! When I protested the re-assignment of my people, he said that their departments were lucky to get them back with the extra training they'd acquired from me, but that it was time to get the Ministry back to the way it was before the war started. He said that now that the Death Eaters were all gone there was no longer a need for an elite strike force such as mine. He said the Aurors could handle things from here on out. The Aurors!"

Severus drained his drink and sprang up to re-fill his glass once more.

"But Severus, keeping order and apprehending those who break the law is what the Aurors are intended to do," I said. "Now that all the Death Eaters have been apprehended, it makes sense to reassign your team back to the departments they came from. You accomplished your goal. You should be proud of what you've done!"

"I am proud! I did something no one else could. I got rid of the last remnants of the Dark Lord! I just expected it to matter more. I expected to be rewarded not punished for my success. After all, I proved my worth, didn't I? I took a bunch of promising, but untrained men and women and turned them into an efficient team, and now all that effort is being wasted."

"It's not wasted. Those people still retain the skills you taught them. They'll be extremely valuable to the departments that got them back."

"The whole point is that others shouldn't be profiting from my hard work! For once, I should be the one to profit. I turned those people into a valuable asset, one that would have been much more valuable had they been allowed to remain as a unit under my command. But instead, I get a handshake, a pat on the back and a shove out the door." He swallowed the rest of his brandy, set down the glass with a forceful clunk, and returned to throw himself back into his chair and stare moodily into the fire.

"I have to admit I don't understand why Kingsley would just let you go. Surely he could find a new challenge for you," I said.

Severus turned away from the flames and glowered at me. "Oh, he offered me a new challenge."

"What challenge?"

"He offered to let me take over the Ministry Potions Lab."

Severus's voice dripped with scorn, but I couldn't understand why.

"But that's great! You said you've miss brewing potions, and I know you don't think much of the skills of the current Head of the Department." Why wasn't Severus happier about this? I'd have thought that running the Potions Lab would be an ideal second challenge for him to take on. Obviously I was missing something.

"He's an ineffectual idiot and he's run that department into the ground, but that's beside the point," said Severus with a dismissive wave of his hand.

I shook my head in puzzlement. "How is it beside the point? Obviously a new head of the Potions Lab is long overdue, and who's more qualified for the job than you are?"

Severus's expression clearly indicated his contempt for my obtuseness. "The point is how such a demotion would be viewed by everyone at the Ministry. My going from leading the premier strike team of the Ministry to running the Potions Lab is a huge slap in the face! The Ministry Potions Lab is a laughing stock. No one respects it."

"But Severus, that would all change if you took over! You could turn it around and show them how to do it right."

"And what happens once I do turn it around? Will I be thanked and handed my walking papers again? Am I to go from department to department cleaning them up, getting them to run efficiently and then be perpetually discarded once I've done the hard work?"

"I'm sure that Kingsley wouldn't do that," I said.

"He did this time."

I shook my head. "This is different. Your task force was handed a mandate with limited short term goals. You met those goals. We aren't at war anymore, so Kingsley is right to want to return the Ministry to a peace time footing. The Potions Lab is an ongoing concern. It might not be a large part of the Ministry now, but if it was competently run, who knows how valuable an asset it could become. There's no one more capable of doing that than you."

Severus frowned at me but remained silent.

Encouraged, I continued on. "You said there were potions that you found valuable that the lab couldn't supply at the moment, well, this is your chance to change all that. You can show them just how invaluable a well run Potions Lab can be. It would be a challenge, of course. It would take a lot of hard work, but you've already proved that you can rise to a challenge.

"Besides, even if Kingsley does as you suggest and moves you on to a new department once the lab is running at peak efficiency, which I don't think he will... but if he did, that's a pretty good indication of your value right there. You'd be the person they go to when they need to make something work right! Personally, I'd think that was something to be proud of."

Severus's eyes narrowed thoughtfully and he stared at me for a long time in silence. Then he got to his feet and left the room without another word.

I was tempted to follow him, but decided that I'd probably be better off if I left him alone for the time being. He had things he needed to think about and I had a tree to decorate. So I selected a garland from the box and began to wind it through the branches.

A few minutes later, Hester came in with a tray and set it on a table by the hearth.

"Why is Mr Severus home so early?" she asked.

"Uh... he finished what he was working on and decided he'd earned a break," I said, figuring it really wasn't my place to tell Hester what was going on with Severus. I certainly didn't want to annoy him any more than he already was.

"Well, I do wish if he was going to talk through the floo that he'd used the one in here. Now I've got to clean out the fireplace in the front parlour." She indicated the tray. "Once I heard him talking, I went back to the kitchen and got another cup. Do you think he'll want some tea when he's done?"

"I don't know."

"Well, if he does, it's here anyway. I'll just go and get started on my pies."

After Hester left, I sat and ate and drank and wondered who Severus had gone off to talk to. I didn't have long to wonder before he was back. I indicated the tea tray and asked him if he wanted any.

He shook his head. "No, not on top of the brandy." He crossed the room and peered into the box of ornaments. "What made you decide to procure a Christmas tree? And where did you get it?"

"I haven't been in a position to have a tree for awhile now, so since I finally had the space, I decided to indulge myself. I cut it from the forest on the grounds. If it bothers you, I could move it downstairs to one of the less used rooms."

"No, it's fine. Are these ornaments yours?" he asked, as he examined them carefully.

"Nope. They came from the attic. You wouldn't believe the amount of junk up there. It could take weeks to go through it all."

Severus just grunted and reached into the box, picking up a golden harp on a string and twirling it between his fingers, listening as it played a tinkling tune.

"Do you want to help decorate?" I asked, rather hoping he'd agree.

"I might as well. I have nothing else to do at the moment," he said casually, and I smothered a smile as it seemed clear that he was more willing than he was about to admit.

As he began to pull decorations out of the box and put them up, I said, "Hester said you were using the floo. Who were you talking to?" I wasn't sure whether I'd get an answer or not, but nothing ventured, nothing gained I always say. Okay, maybe I don't always say it, but I'm beginning to think I should. Hanging back and not saying anything doesn't usually get me anywhere.

Severus hesitated in the act of placing a silver star on the top of the tree then continued on without looking at me.

"I was talking to Shacklebolt. It was clear that he wasn't about to back down and return my team to me, but that's no reason to allow his short-sightedness to deprive me of a lucrative position. I accepted the job he offered to me, once I was assured that I'd have a free hand to hire, fire, and chart the course of the department as I saw fit. I won't have the pleasure of firing the current head of the lab, however. He's retiring at the end of the month. Something that's long overdue, I assure you. Since I'd really rather not work with the old fool at all, I told Shacklebolt that I'd be ready to start after the turn of the year."

"That's wonderful, Severus. I'm sure you'll do great things with the department, and you deserve a little time off. You've worked hard."

He appraised me with narrowed eyes, as if trying to decide whether I was being sincere or not. I really wished he would just believe the things I say to him, but I was beginning to think that was too much to ask.

"I intend to," he said finally. "Now, if you're quite finished stuffing yourself with Hester's cooking, might I get a hand with this tree? The job would go faster if both of us contributed, you know."

Hiding a smile, I got to my feet, dusted off my lap and got on with the pleasant task of trimming the Christmas tree with Severus.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: The Search Begins**

When I seated myself at the breakfast table the next day, I found Severus already there, a cleaned plate in front of him, a half drunk cup of coffee at his elbow, and his nose buried in the current issue of the Daily Prophet.

"Good morning, Severus," I said as I sat down after filling my own plate from the dishes on the sideboard and reached for the coffee pot to fill my own cup. "Did you sleep well?"

To my surprise, he folded the paper, set it beside his plate and offered me a, well if not quite a smile, then certainly a pleasant expression as he answered my question quite readily.

"I did as a matter of fact. Best sleep I've had in months."

I smiled. "Probably because you finally managed to round up the last of Voldemort's followers. The wizarding world owes you quite a debt."

A faint frown creased his forehead. "Yes, they do, though I don't imagine they'll ever acknowledge it. Certainly there's nothing in the paper to indicate that anything so momentous occurred this week."

I took a sip from my cup and began to eat Hester's excellent breakfast. "You said yourself that the existence of Death Eaters who were still roaming around free had to be kept secret from the general public. If no one knew they were out there, no one could really congratulate you for their capture, now could they? If people knew that the Ministry had been keeping something that big from them, they'd only become more fearful and suspicious, wondering what else the Ministry wasn't being open about."

"I suppose you're right." He still looked a trifle put out.

"Well, I appreciate what you accomplished for what little it's worth," I said.

He stared at me thoughtfully for a moment before murmuring a polite thank you.

Before the silence had a chance to become strained, I asked, "So, now that you have a couple of weeks off, what do you plan to do with the free time? Prepare your plan of attack for the cleaning up of the Ministry Potions Lab?"

A faint smirk flitted across Severus's lips. "Oh, I already know how I'm going to approach that. The first thing I'll need to do is make a complete inventory of the stores, quiz the staff on their procedures, delivery and storage methods, do a full accounting of the books, and, most importantly, determine the competence of each and every staff member."

"How do you intend to do that?" I asked.

"Nothing could be simpler. I'll test them. I'll simply assign them all to create several commonly used, though certainly not simple, potions. Those who fail to produce potions that meet my standards, in a reasonable amount of time, will be fired. Those few who do meet my standards will be encouraged to continue to work on their technique and will be allowed to retain their positions. I have no doubt that the Ministry Potions Lab will be working at peak efficiency within six months."

"I'll bet it will," I agreed, feeling rather sorry for the current staff of the Ministry Lab. They weren't going to know what hit them. "Okay, if you aren't going to be preparing for your new job, then what do you plan to do with your time?"

"I thought it was time to begin searching the house for my great aunt's treasure. It's not just going to jump up and reveal itself to us, after all."

I laid down my fork and smiled broadly. "That's great! Where do you think we should begin? I'd suggest the attic. That place is crammed to the rafters with potential treasure."

"We might as well start at the top and work our way down, I suppose," Severus agreed amiably. "It makes as much sense as anything else."

"Great! Just let me have a little more to eat, and I'll be ready to go up with you." I rose from my chair and went to the sideboard to re-fill my plate. If I was going to spend my day shifting heavy boxes around, I'd need more of Hester's excellent cooking to provide me with the needed energy.

Severus watched me tuck into my second helping with a look of amusement. "I'll admit I'm a bit surprised at your eagerness for the hunt."

"Why?" I glanced up in confusion. "You know I've been excited at the thought of this treasure hunt from the beginning."

"Yes, but that was when you still had something to gain from it. Now that you've signed your half of the treasure over to me, I expected your enthusiasm to wane."

I laid down my fork, resisting the temptation to give it a final lick and wiped my mouth with my napkin while I tried to figure out how I could explain what this treasure hunt was beginning to mean to me.

"Severus, this may be all about the money for you, but it never has been for me," I said.

"Really?" A look of scepticism lurked in Severus's eyes as he slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, really," I said firmly. "I'll admit that the thought of the money was appealing, but simply not having to worry about where I can sleep and where my next meal is coming from for a whole year is enough for me. My needs have never been extravagant and that hasn't changed. I just enjoy puzzles, and this is an especially intriguing one.

"I want to know what Miss Sparling's treasure really is. I don't think it's simply a chest full of money or the key to a Gringotts' vault. I have a feeling it's more special than that and frankly, I'm very curious. Aren't you?" How could he not want to know what this mysterious treasure was? I hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since I heard her recorded message.

He hesitated for a moment, then shrugged and admitted, "I suppose I am."

I grinned at his admission but didn't comment on it as I continued, "Besides, even in the short time I've been here, I've become quite fond of Hester and, through the things I've been told and that remarkable recording, I've come to have quite an admiration for Miss Sparling, too. Having us find this treasure is clearly important to the both of them, and I really want to see it through."

Severus was watching me closely and, not for the first time, I wished I was better at reading him. I've never met anyone who was more adept at keeping his thoughts to himself. Of course he had plenty of practice at that during the war. Finally, he seemed to come to some conclusion. Whether he accepted what I'd told him or only decided to look as if he did, he nodded abruptly and stood up.

"All right. If it's a treasure hunt you want, we should get to it. Since you've already been to the attic, I'll let you show me the way, if you've finished fortifying yourself for the task that is."

I sprung to my feet, pleased to finally be getting started. "I'm ready if you are. Let's go."

Eagerly I led Severus out of the dining room and up the stairs to the attic. From the look on his face after we'd both lit lanterns and examined the huge mounds of junk, I had a feeling that he felt as discouraged as I had when I'd first seen the place, but we had to start somewhere, and this was as good a place as any.

We decided we might as well take opposite sides of the main path at the end of the room nearest to the door, and for a long while we toiled in silence, peering into boxes, bags and old suitcases then shifting pieces of furniture aside to get at more boxes. It was quite cold in the attic so Severus insisted on casting as widespread a warming spell as he could manage which did make things much more comfortable. Being able to feel your fingers when trying to pry open containers and handling sometimes fragile objects was definitely a plus. It also meant we needed to stay fairly close together, of course, which was yet another plus as far as I was concerned.

Severus must have decided on his day's occupation when he'd dressed that morning because instead of robes, he wore a cable knit jumper in hunter green over well fitting jeans and stout boots. He was certainly a treat to look at and I'll confess I probably did as much looking as I did searching, especially whenever he bent over to look through a likely box. In my book, even though we really didn't know what we were looking for and had no assurance that we'd know it when we saw it, I felt it was a morning very well spent.

It was almost lunchtime when I opened a box to find a child's wooden train set very much like the one that I'd bought Teddy for Christmas. The sight of it brought a smile to my face as I imagined him opening his own present on Christmas morning and wiped it off again just as fast as I realized with a quick stab of pain that I wouldn't be there to see it. Not this Christmas or any other. That was a pleasure reserved for fathers, something I now knew in my heart I would never be.

I sat down on the floor and lifted the train's painted engine out of the box, turning it over in my hands. This one was definitely more faded and scratched than the new one I'd boxed up the week before, but overall it had weathered the test of time well. It wasn't even particularly dusty.

Suddenly Severus's voice cut into my melancholy musings. "I seriously doubt that Aunt Audra's treasure is a toy train, or does your sustained interest in this one mean you intend to take it downstairs to while away your evenings pretending to be an engineer."

I tried to smile, but I had a feeling it came out more as a grimace as I looked up at Severus, who was watching me with an air of faint amusement.

"It just reminds me of the one I bought Teddy for Christmas. I was imagining him opening the box on Christmas morning and hoping that he'd like it."

"From your expression, I'd have to guess that you aren't sure whether he'll like it or not, but I wouldn't worry. Most small boys seem to like toy trains. I imagine your son is no different. Besides, even if you aren't there to see him open your gift, I'm sure he'll tell you all about it later."

I shook my head. "No, I doubt I'll be hearing about it at all."

Severus frowned. "Why not? Is your ex-wife being difficult about visitation?"

"Yes. No... not really. It's become rather complicated."

"Even though you and the boy's mother are no longer together, he's still your son. You should be allowed to see him if you wish, particularly on a holiday. What's so complicated about that?" he asked quite reasonably.

"That's the problem actually. It turns out that Teddy isn't my son at all. He's Charlie Weasley's. Teddy and Dora will be spending Christmas in Romania with him. She didn't even want to take the present I bought for Teddy, but she did finally. Hopefully she really will give it to him, but whether she does or not, I'll never know."

"Tonks wasn't faithful?"

I expected to hear derision in Severus's voice and was a bit surprised that I didn't. In fact, he almost seemed sympathetic as he sat down on a nearby box and regarded me solemnly.

"To my knowledge, she was faithful during our marriage," I said. "However, what she didn't tell me, maybe she didn't even know, I suppose that's barely possible, was that she was already pregnant when we got married. She'd had a rather up and down, tempestuous sort of relationship with Charlie and had finally broken it off for good just before she and I got engaged. I didn't even know about her relationship with him until long after we were married.

"Anyway it really wasn't until after Voldemort was destroyed and life began to return to something approaching normal that we both realized that we might not be ideally suited to one another. Although I certainly never thought that Teddy wasn't mine until Molly Weasley babysat for him one night, and it came to light that he has what she called 'The Weasley Birthmark' on his bum. It's this small strawberry shaped mark on his left buttock. Apparently all the Weasley men have it."

I turned the train over in my hands, gently caressing its smooth red and black paint and idly turning one of its small wheels as I recounted the incident that had changed my life so profoundly. Perhaps more profoundly than any other, except for an ill-fated, long ago decision to leave my childhood home on the night of a beautiful full moon.

"Is this why you and Tonks divorced?" Severus's voice brought me back from my musings.

"It was part of it certainly, but it wasn't the biggest part. She thought that marriage to me would be safe and stable; something she longed for after the ups and downs of her relationship with Charlie and the horrible uncertainty of war. I think she'd built up this romantic fantasy in her mind about me and us together, but she hadn't completely managed to stop caring for Charlie. Once the hyper-charged atmosphere of wartime was left behind, we found ourselves in a domestic situation that really didn't suit either of us the way we'd hoped.

"I certainly can't blame it all on Dora. I don't imagine I was really much of a husband. I was a good father, though," I said quietly. "I love Teddy every bit as much as if he was my son. I imagine I always will. It's not as if I'm ever likely to have any children of my own."

"Why not? People discover all the time that they've made a mistake and married the wrong person. They divorce like you did and many, if not most of them, seem to go on to marry again and have children with new partners."

I shook my head and placed the train back in its box and closed it up. "You're right. Many people do, but not me. Marrying Dora was a mistake in more ways than one. I was unsure about doing it for several reasons, not the least of which is my lycanthropy status, certainly not the best thing to bring into a marriage. I let myself be talked into it mostly because marrying Dora gave me a sense of normalcy and family that a part of me has been craving ever since I lost my parents and then all my closest friends. I liked the idea of belonging to someone again, so I overlooked things I really shouldn't have and our divorce was the result."

I looked up at Severus and decided that now was the time to come clean with him about something I've just never talked about with anyone else, and I must confess I was really curious about how he'd react. Would he be alarmed, repulsed, uncomfortable... or maybe none of those things? I didn't really dare hope that he'd find me as attractive as I found him, but it seemed the time to try to find out, at least in general terms.

"You see, although I did love Dora, I really didn't love her the way I should have if I was going to marry her. I've always told myself that I was attracted equally to men and women, but honestly, any relationships I've ever had with women have been pretty disastrous. I think it's probably past time I just admitted the truth. I really don't enjoy sexual relationships with women all that much. I prefer men, and I always have."

I stared at Severus in the resulting silence trying to get some indication of how my admission had affected him, but once again, I found him just too tough to read. He continued to regard me seriously, but as far as I could tell, he showed neither repulsion nor interest at my words.

So I continued, "So you see, it's highly unlikely that I'll ever have another child."

Finally Severus gave himself a slight shake and got to his feet. "No, I suppose not. Well, I think we can leave off searching for awhile. I don't know about you, but I'm getting rather hungry. It's almost one o'clock, past time for a lunch break. I'm not convinced that there's anything of great value up here in this mess, but I suppose we should continue on and look through the rest of it if we can. I feel rather filthy though, so I think I'll go and wash up before eating. I'll see you downstairs."

With that, he turned on his heel, and left the room, extinguishing his lantern and leaving it on the table on his way out. I just sat there and watched him go. I'd really hoped for some sort of reaction to my admission. It hadn't been an easy one to make, and I'd hoped to gain some insight into his own preferences by seeing how he reacted to mine, but I was left as much in the dark as ever. What would it take to get an unguarded response from Severus? To finally figure out what made him tick? Suddenly I resolved to make it my mission to find out.

Getting to my feet, I walked slowly back to the attic stairs, extinguished my own lantern, set it beside Severus's, and made my way down to lunch.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: A Visitor**

Severus and I spent two days searching Greycliffe's attics with no useful result. We found many things that some Sparling or other clearly felt was a treasure at some point in their lives but nothing came to light that seemed to belong specifically to Audra Sparling. I found the whole process immensely interesting and found myself constantly speculating as to whom something had belonged and why it had been kept.

Severus, on the other hand, seemed to lose interest in the treasure trove of Sparling memorabilia quite quickly, but to his credit, he kept plugging away beside me until we'd made at least a cursory survey of the entire attic floor of the house.

When I came down to breakfast on the third day of our search, he informed me that he had other plans for the day.

"Surely you aren't giving up the search already? We've barely scratched the surface of what's concealed up there."

He snorted and took a sip of his coffee. "Almost everything up there has had its surface most thoroughly scratched long ago. I'm not giving up on the hunt, but I don't believe that we'll find anything of real value in the attic. Just about everything we've come across has been broken and ill-used. I simply cannot see Aunt Audra treating anything she viewed as a 'treasure' so shabbily. No, wherever her treasure is, it's well hidden and well protected from casual damage, which leaves out anything to be found up there in that vast accumulation of junk."

I nodded my reluctant agreement. He definitely had a point. With its extremes of temperature, the attic was hardly the ideal place to store anything of value and certainly nothing we'd come across so far had weathered the test of time particularly well.

"You're probably right, but I don't like to leave the search up there only partially finished."

He set down his coffee cup and pushed himself away from the table. "You're certainly welcome to continue to waste your time as you wish, but I have other things I need to do today."

"Oh, what?" I asked, always interested in what Severus was doing.

"I need to begin brewing the Wolfsbane Potion. If it's to be ready when you have need of it next month, I can't wait any longer. By the way, you owe me 35 Galleons for the ingredients."

I know from the sudden scowl on his face that a look of dismay had crossed my own at hearing the amount of money I owed him. When I made my Christmas purchases, I hadn't stopped to think that next month's potion would have to be begun this month, and I needed to save out enough money to pay for it. Perhaps he'd be willing to wait until after the first of next month for payment. All I could do was ask, I no longer had the money, and I really didn't want to return any of the gifts I'd bought.

"I'm sorry, Severus. I forgot I'd have to pay for next month's potion ingredients out of this month's allowance. I'm afraid I spent most of it. I can give you 6 Galleons and change. That's all I have left right now, but I can pay you the rest plus all of next month's cost as soon as we get our next allowances."

Severus cast a mildly scornful glance at my attire. Admittedly I was wearing an old and very much patched jumper over jeans with a hole in one knee, but I intended to spend the day grubbing around in the attic. What did he expect me to wear for such a dirty job?

"What may I ask did you spend your money on? I certainly haven't noticed an upgrade in your wardrobe, and if you've bought yourself a new cloak or boots, you must be keeping them hidden in your room. Your cloak is threadbare and at least one of your boots has the beginning of a hole in the sole."

"I bought Christmas gifts," I said simply. "I told you about the train set that I bought for Teddy, but that wasn't the only thing I got. I decided to get something for Hester, and I always try to give a little something to Harry, Minerva, and Molly Weasley, because they always send me something or other. It all added up more quickly than I expected. The cloak and boots will have to wait a bit longer. I can manage."

As he stared intently at me, I looked away not wanting him to read the full truth in my eyes as I knew he was quite capable of doing. I really wanted to surprise him with his gift on Christmas morning, not to mention that I didn't want him to feel somehow obligated to reciprocate if he knew I'd bought him a gift.

Although my attraction to Severus was undoubtedly growing stronger with every day I spent in his company, his feelings for me hadn't seemed to change in the slightest. Well, I had hopes that if asked he would no longer say he loathed me; our conversations had certainly moved from coolly civil to moderately friendly while we both worked side by side in the attic.

Still, I had no illusions that Christmas day would bring any presents my way other than the usual bit of baking from Molly Weasley, the box of Chocolate Frogs that Harry often sent, and the annual tin of shortbread from Minerva. People always seemed to think I needed feeding which I certainly couldn't argue with. I'd already bought small gifts for them, ready for owling on Christmas Eve. I was actually lucky to still have even 6 Galleons to give to Severus towards the price of potion ingredients.

"Well, whatever you spent your money on is your business. If all you have to give is 6 Galleons then that will have to do for now. However, I will expect to get the remaining 29 Galleons for this month plus next month's 35 Galleons on the first of next month. As it is, you're getting a bargain because I'm only charging for the ingredients, not the labour, and this is a labour intensive potion to make, as you well know, so I will expect you to be prompt with your payments in the future.

"Now I have to get down to my lab. I suppose I'll see you at lunch." He tossed his napkin on the table and turned to leave the room.

"I'll be here," I said to his retreating back.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

My morning was as unproductive as Severus thought it would be, and by the time lunch rolled around, I was ready to give up on the attic as a possible location for the treasure. I was quite filthy, so I made a quick stop in my room to change into clothing that wasn't quite as disreputable before joining Severus at the table. I had one jumper in a soft heather blue that wasn't in bad shape and fit me better than any of my castoff clothing, so I put that on, pairing it with jeans that, although certainly not new, at least had the virtue of not having any holes in them. After a brief wash, I felt much better and realized that I was starving.

When I came into the dining room, I found Severus at the sideboard, ladling soup into a bowl. He stared at me for a moment before sitting down and applying himself to his food, and I had no doubt that he'd noticed my change of clothes. I couldn't tell if he approved of my altered appearance, however, and since he made no reference to it, neither did I.

Lunch was mostly a silent affair. I asked about his morning and he responded by asking about mine, but since neither of us had done anything worth discussing, we didn't. The silence wasn't strained though, quite the opposite, and I found myself relaxing and enjoying his quiet companionship every bit as much as I enjoyed Hester's excellent meal.

As we finished eating, I debated whether or not to offer Severus my admittedly limited services as a lab assistant. At this early stage of potion making, I thought I could be of some help. After all, I could chop ingredients as well as anyone else. Before I could make the offer, however, Hester appeared in the doorway with a curious expression on her face. She stepped into the room and addressed Severus.

"There's a gentleman here to see you, Mr Severus," she said. "I put him in the morning room. There's no fire lit in there, though, so I don't imagine he's very comfortable. He said you were expecting him. Are you?"

Severus wiped his mouth on his napkin and got to his feet. "Thank you, Hester. Yes, as a matter of fact, I am expecting a visitor."

Hester nodded shortly and gave him a stern look. "Well, in the future if you'd warn me about any guests you have coming, I can see that the morning room fire is lit and the dust sheets are off the furniture. I don't know what your friend must be thinking, being put into a cold room with no comfortable place to sit down."

Severus nodded. "You're right, of course, I should have mentioned it, but it won't matter. He won't be spending any appreciable amount of time in the morning room."

Hester sniffed, partially mollified. "Whatever you say. He's your guest after all. Are you finished in here? Shall I clear away the dishes?"

"Yes, we're done," said Severus as he cast what might or might not be an inquiring glance at me.

I decided to respond as if it was and laid down my spoon and got to my feet. "Yes, I'm done, too. The soup was excellent, Hester. Thank you."

She looked pleased as she began to pick up the dishes and put them on a tray. While Hester cleaned up, Severus and I left the room and walked down the hall toward the morning room.

"Who's your visitor?" I asked. "Do I need to make myself scarce?" I really hoped he'd say no. During the short time we'd lived here, neither of us had had any visitors, and I was tremendously curious to see who awaited us behind the morning room door.

"Not at all," said Severus mildly. "I think you'll be interested in this, too."

Throwing open the door, Severus preceded me into the room. Waiting for us by the window was Filius Flitwick. Hester must have taken his cloak from him when he came inside, and he looked as if he was missing its warmth. The diminutive Charms professor had been gazing out over the winter worn lawn, but he turned eagerly away from the rather dull view and greeted us both warmly.

"Severus! Remus! It's good to see you both," exclaimed Flitwick as he crossed to meet us.

Severus grasped Flitwick's outstretched hand and shook it firmly, and when he released it, I did the same, quite pleased to see my former professor and one-time colleague.

"Filius, thank you for coming. I trust you had no difficulty finding the place," said Severus with a faint smile.

"Oh, no, not at all, your directions were excellent. Quite a place you have here. Quite a place indeed. We were all very happy at Hogwarts to hear about your good fortune. The previous owner was a relative of yours, I believe?" he asked looking first at Severus and then darting a glance at me, clearly hoping to be told all the intimate details of our inheritance.

Probably there were a lot of curious people out there who couldn't understand why Severus and I would've inherited as much as a box of biscuits together, much less a whole estate. Of course, we didn't really understand it any more than anyone else, so we couldn't exactly enlighten anyone.

Severus nodded. "Yes, Miss Sparling was my great aunt. I don't really know why she left the estate to the two of us. Unfortunately her will really didn't give any explanation of her thinking on the matter. Nevertheless, it's ours for the time being."

Flitwick looked around the room, which I must admit looked much cheerier in today's sunshine than it had when I first saw it, and smiled broadly. "Well, it's a lovely old house. It will no doubt be quite charming once you've had the chance to spruce it up a bit. Now where is this painting you wanted me to take a look at?"

He glanced at the rather dark painting of a long dead Sparling that glowered fixedly at us from over the fireplace. "Not this one surely."

"No, the painting I want you to look at is upstairs. It's a portrait of Audra Sparling herself." He shot a quick glance at me. "As I mentioned when we spoke, the portrait has been magically bound, and we were hoping that you might be able to advise us as to how to safely remove the binding."

Flitwick nodded. "I'll be happy to do my best. Binding Charms can be tricky things, though. Usually the person who placed the spell is the one who'd have the best chance of removing it successfully. Do you know who that might be?"

Severus shepherded the two of us toward the door and we left the room and headed for the staircase. As we climbed the stairs, Severus said, "Yes, I know who did it, but I don't know that he can be persuaded to remove the binding. However, I may have to try, if it turns out there isn't anything you can do."

When we entered the library, I couldn't help smiling at the contrast between its welcoming warmth and the cold comfort of the morning room. Here a fire burned brightly on the hearth, streaks of warm sunshine gave vivid life to the furnishings and the elegantly trimmed Christmas tree sparkled in the corner. I'd quickly come to love this room and truly enjoyed spending time in it.

Flitwick, however, seemed only to notice the painting over the mantel and gasped audibly as he caught sight of it.

"Oh, my word! I've never seen a Binding Charm that manifests itself in this manner!" He crossed the room and stood beneath the painting, staring open mouthed at it, while the bound figure of Audra Sparling stared back. "This must be most distressing for the painting's occupant!"

Severus and I joined him and stared up at Miss Sparling's painted image.

"She does seem to be very upset about it," I agreed.

"Which is one reason we'd like to get it removed as quickly as possible," said Severus.

Flitwick nodded as he drew his wand from a pocket in his robes and began to make passes with it. "Oh, yes, I can quite see why you'd want this taken off. How horrible! There, there, dear lady," he spoke soothingly to the painting. "We'll find some way around this. Never you fear."

Severus and I stood silently by as Flitwick made a great many intricate passes with his wand and huffed and hemmed to himself in a somewhat agitated manner. When he finally finished and stepped back, he looked rather upset.

"This is really quite an appalling use of this charm. I might even call it abuse," he said fervently. "Dear me..."

I became a trifle concerned. The small man looked quite shaken by the results of his examination. "Are you all right, Filius?" I asked. "Do you want to sit down? We could ring for some tea..."

He smiled at me and shook his head. "It's very kind of you to offer, Remus, but I just finished lunch. I do think I'll sit though.

He perched on the edge of one of our comfortable chairs, and Severus and I took the sofa across from him.

"Do you think you can remove the spell, Filius?" asked Severus, always a man who gets right to the point.

Flitwick frowned. "I'm not sure. You can feel the taint of dark magic emanating from the painting. It's really very distressing. I tried several common removal spells and a few of their less common derivatives, but they had no effect whatsoever. I'm afraid I'll need to do some research into the darker versions of the Binding Charm."

He glanced up at the bound woman once more and shook his head. "The standard charms simply don't act like this one."

"I've never used a Binding Charm, myself," I said. "How does a standard charm differ from this one?"

"Well, for one thing they don't manifest as actual bindings while leaving the portrait's personality active like this to experience the horror of being so confined. Usually a portrait will simply be frozen in place, so it will look just like any Muggle painting. This puts the painted personality to sleep, essentially. Which is much less distressing for the painting itself."

"The person who bound this painting, bound a woman as well. Do you think there might be something you could do for her?" I asked.

Flitwick looked aghast. "This person used this same spell on a living being?"

I glanced at Severus before answering. "I don't know if it's exactly the same, but it's definitely a binding spell of some sort. It's a bit more selective, though. It doesn't keep her from talking at all, only from discussing a particular subject. When she tries to talk about this subject, she gets short of breath and seems to feel pain, almost as if the spell is strangling her."

"Oh, dear, that's dreadful! That shouldn't happen. A standard Binding Charm should only prevent a person from speaking. It should never cause them pain. After examining this painting, I'd have to say that I wouldn't dare experiment on a living being who was under such a spell. Not without knowing a lot more than I do now, anyway. Whoever did this is a monster! And you say you know who it is?"

Flitwick appeared appalled at the thought that someone we knew could do something like this. I had to agree with him. The more I thought about Skyrm's actions the more reprehensible I found them.

"We think so, although we haven't confronted him yet," said Severus with a black look on his face.

Flitwick shivered and got to his feet. "Well, if you do confront whoever did this, be careful. Someone who could do this sort of damage to a painting and a living being won't stop at much." He sighed. "I really should be going, but don't worry, I'll do my best to find an answer to this. It may take a bit of time, though."

We both nodded and stood as well. "Take as much time as you need, Filius," I said. "We appreciate your willingness to help."

Flitwick smiled at me. "Severus mentioned how distressed you've been over this matter, Remus, and I can certainly see why!" He headed for the door and waved us back. "I'll get right on it immediately. No need for you to see me out, I can find the way. Good to see you both again. I'll be in touch as soon as I've found something helpful." Then with a final wave of his hand, he was out the door and down the stairs.

Severus and I stood there in silence until we heard the distant sound of the front door opening and closing. Then I looked at him and smiled. "You told him I was upset about the binding?"

Severus glowered at me. "Well, you are, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but..." I began, but he waved me silent.

"Don't make more out of this than there is. I simply said that you were quite angry about it, as am I. That's all."

"I didn't think you intended to do anything about the binding," I said.

"I've reconsidered." He waved at the painting. "This stands in the way of our finding the treasure. If there is any way for the binding to be removed, I want to find it. If Filius can't come up with anything, then I intend to bring the matter up with Skyrm when he brings our January allowances. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my brewing. I'll see you later."

Although he wasn't wearing a robe at the moment, I could almost see the swirl of dark fabric in his wake as he stalked out the door and down the stairs. As I watched him go, I felt a smile steal back onto my face. No matter what he said, I couldn't quite dismiss the feeling that he'd called Filius in as much to make me feel better as to help us find the treasure.

I turned and looked up at the painting. "Am I crazy to think he might be starting to like me just a little bit?" I asked.

The eyes of the painting softened and I was left with the distinct impression that she tried to shake her head.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: I Need a Sign**

As the evening shadows lengthened, I hung the sprig of mistletoe in the doorway with a smile and turned away to pick up a garland to frame it with. When I turned back, Severus stood in the doorway watching me. He took a quick glance up at the dangling spray of green and white and the corner of his mouth quirked up accompanied by the upward rise of a single eyebrow. Then he settled his gaze on me once more and simply waited.

The challenge in his eyes was unmistakeable. It seemed now was my chance to claim what I'd been wanting for so long. I dropped the garland in an instant and moved closer. Slowly, so as to give him every chance to move away, I slid my hands up across his cheeks and into his hair, cradling his face in my palms.

The dark pull of his eyes as they stared into mine was dizzying and I felt my world beginning a slow spin as I lowered my lips to his. As soon as we touched, Severus's arms came up around me and pulled me against him. What began as a tentative, almost tender kiss, soon deepened into something hungry, as if we'd both been wanting this so desperately that no single kiss could possibly be contact enough.

I opened my mouth and felt him slip inside, exploring, demanding, claiming. My blood began to sing and the world spun faster. Although I tightened my arms around him, pressing his body to mine, I simply could not get him close enough. I felt myself falling into him, deeper and deeper until, his hands on my body, his lips on mine were simply extensions of me. Never had I felt a deeper connection with anyone. All the boundaries between us had melted away; we were one as we were meant to be.

I opened my eyes and saw a bright ray of sunshine filter through a chink in my curtains, spill down across my bedside table, and tumble onto my floorboards warming them to a golden hue. Tiny bits of dust danced their merry dance in its brilliance and I felt a deep sense of loss as I watched them; though it was one I was becoming accustomed to.

I reached for the sprig of enchanted mistletoe that sat gleaming in the morning light on my bedside table. Swinging my legs off the bed, I sat up, pushed the weight of my covers away, and twirled the pretty plant between my fingers.

I had no idea how old this little bit of Christmas past was. I'd found it at the bottom of the box that held Miss Sparling's ornaments. It was real, no question, but it had been magically given a form of eternal life by a strong preservation spell and looked as fresh now as the moment it had been picked. As I gazed at the rotating sprig, I felt a rush of yearning within me. I wanted the magic that permeated it to do more than preserve. I wanted it to create; I wanted it to inspire. I wanted to hang it up and let the temptation it created inspire a kiss like the ones that had been setting my dreams on fire ever since I'd found it, but I just couldn't bring myself to take the risk.

I'd thought long and hard about hanging it in the doorway to the library, but I knew if I did, what it would create was dissention, what it would inspire was annoyance. Since he'd lost his previous job at the Ministry and had been spending more time here with me, there was no question that Severus had been friendlier, but I still had no real sense of how he felt about me or whether kissing me was something he'd welcome, or whether the very idea would repulse him.

We had to live together in this house for the next year. I really couldn't afford to do anything that would turn that into a torturous experience for either of us, so for now, I felt I had to leave advances of the sort I yearned to make to my dreams. As much as I'd come to want a deeper relationship with Severus, I knew that pursuing one would be a disaster if he wasn't also interested and so far, I hadn't seen any sign that he was.

With a sigh, I set the mistletoe back on my bedside table and got to my feet. It was time to get up and face another day. Christmas was almost here. Before I knew it, it would be the New Year. Then Severus would be devoting all of his energy to reshaping the Ministry Potions Lab in his image, and my time with him would be greatly limited once again. I really should just be enjoying the extra time I had and not wasting my energy on dreams of something that would most likely never become a reality. Yet I knew the dreams would continue, and I'd welcome them into my bed like the lover I yearned to have.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

"I'd really like to have Christmas day off, if it's all right with you and Mr Severus," said Hester.

I'd gone into the library after breakfast to find something to read, and Hester had followed me in, twisting her apron in her hands and staring at me with a slightly apprehensive expression on her face. I couldn't imagine why she'd be apprehensive, though. I felt a bit embarrassed that she'd had to ask at all.

If I'd been thinking clearly, I'd have already offered her the day off. After all, Hester was a servant not a slave, and she certainly deserved some time to herself. It meant that Severus and I would have to fend for ourselves for awhile, but actually I found that idea rather appealing.

"Of course you should have the day off, if you want it, Hester," I said. Technically I suppose it wasn't just my decision to make, but I couldn't imagine that Severus would disagree.

Looking relieved, Hester nodded and dropped her apron, smoothing it out again with hands that no longer looked so tense. "Thank you, Mr Remus. My friend Ida has been asking me to join her and her family for Christmas for years, but I never felt right leaving Miss Audra here all alone on a holiday, especially not on Christmas when people gather with their families. Miss Audra only really had me, you see. Not that I was family, but in a way, I suppose I was the closest thing to it she had left."

"There was Severus," I said quietly. "Why didn't she ever try to get to know her great nephew better?" I glanced up at the portrait who met my eyes with a look that seemed sad.

Hester glanced up at the picture of her former employer, too, before replying. "Miss Audra toyed with the idea of trying to get in touch with Mr Severus more than a few times over the years, but she never quite got around to it. Then later, when that horrible creature... When things were so bad for everyone, she didn't dare to. Then she got sick and well, time just ran out on her."

"Yes," I agreed sadly. "Time has a way of doing that."

We stood in silence for a moment, and then I cleared my throat and said, "Well, it's not too late for you to do what you want. You know, I see no reason why you shouldn't spend a few days with your friend if you'd like. Instead of just going for Christmas, you could go the day before and stay through Boxing Day, or would that be long enough?"

Hester smiled. "Oh, yes, that'll be plenty of time. I love Ida, but her husband gets on my nerves pretty quickly. I feel bad about leaving you and Mr Severus to fend for yourselves on Christmas, though. Who'll cook you dinner?"

"I will," I said with a smile. "If I do say so myself, I'm a pretty good cook, so please don't worry yourself on our account, Hester. You just go on and have a good visit with your friend."

She nodded. "All right, I will, but I'll be going out to do the week's shopping today. What do you want me to pick up for your Christmas dinner? I have an apple pie in the freezer, and a cake you could use for trifle."

"I should probably get Severus's input before I give you a shopping list. He's down in his lab. I'll go ask him and let you know."

She nodded. "Fine. I'll go and pack my things. Then I'll go back to the kitchen and make out my shopping list. Just let me know what you want me to pick up and I'll get it."

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

When I got down to the basement, I found the door to Severus's lab open. From the clouds of noxious fumes wafting out I thought I knew why. Who wouldn't want all the ventilation they could get when working on this thoroughly disgusting potion? He was hard at work and had progressed to the stage where he stewed the wolfsbane itself while adding various amounts of other ingredients at carefully timed intervals. The smell of it made me slightly nauseous. I didn't know how he could stand it.

To be honest, I wasn't really as horrible at making potions in general as Severus thought I was. I'd always managed adequate if not stellar marks in the subject at school, but making this particular potion simply turned my stomach. Yes, it was fussy and time consuming, but I could be as patient and careful as the next person. What I simply couldn't do was stay in the same room with the brewing potion for long enough to take all the tiny important steps necessary to turn out a superior product.

Whenever I'd tried to make it in the past, I'd always rushed through things or found myself having to leave the room at a crucial point simply to avoid vomiting all over it. I always wondered if any werewolf could brew the potion correctly. There was so much in it that simply made my skin crawl and my stomach roil in protest, and I had a feeling that anyone cursed as I was, would react the same way.

I took a deep breath of clear air and edged into the room, trying not to breathe very deeply once I got near to Severus who was leaning over the cauldron, sprinkling bits of something disgusting into the mixture and counting to himself. I waited as patiently as I could for him to finish what he was doing and acknowledge my presence, but it seemed to take a very long time and I was severely in danger of losing my breakfast by the time he looked up at me with a dark scowl on his face.

"What do you want, Lupin? I'd think you could see that I'm rather busy right now."

I nodded. "Yes, but something has come up and we need to talk about it. Can you spare me a few minutes sometime soon?"

"Oh, very well, I'll reach a stopping point in about twenty minutes. I'll come up and see you in the library. Will that do?"

I murmured that it would and bolted for the door. I ran up the stairs to the kitchen and out through the back hall and the potting room to the snow covered kitchen garden beyond. There I leaned against the rough stone wall of the house and gulped in huge amounts of icy winter air, praying madly that I could regain some control before I spewed my insides all over the as yet pristine snow. This time I won my battle, but it was a near thing. I collapsed wearily onto the stoop, leaning my head against the door as I closed my eyes and calmed my racing heart.

God, I hated that potion. If ever there was a love/ hate relationship for the ages, it was that of the werewolf and the Wolfsbane Potion. It smelled disgusting, tasted worse, was dreadfully expensive and difficult to make, but for all we loathed almost everything about it, what it did for us was worth any amount of disgust or pain. Because it gave us the precious gift of sanity and allowed us control over our own actions. Something others took for granted but we never could.

Once I was sure I wouldn't embarrass myself, I got slowly to my feet and went back into the house. I made my way up to the library and collapsed into a chair in front of the fire, where Severus found me a short time later.

He stomped into the room, wiping his hands on his apron and stood over me, glaring angrily. "What is so important that I had to interrupt my work to come up here and talk to you? What's the matter with you anyway? You look like you're going to be ill."

He dropped the apron and thrust out his hand, placing it first on my forehead and then my cheek. It felt wonderfully cool and it took a lot of self-control not to turn my face into his palm and kiss it gently.

"Well, you don't have a fever but you're rather clammy. Are you all right?" he asked as he finally withdrew his hand. The annoyance was gone from his voice this time, replaced by what might or might not have been a hint of concern, and I sat up and forced a smile.

"I'm fine. I just have trouble being in the same room as the Wolfsbane Potion when it's being brewed. The stench of it makes me want to vomit." I admitted reluctantly. "I don't know how you stand it."

He shrugged. "The smell doesn't bother me. Actually, I find it rather pleasant."

"Pleasant! How can you possibly find it pleasant? It's disgusting." I twisted my lips into a grimace at the very idea that anyone could enjoy such an appalling stink.

He looked thoughtful. "Perhaps it smells different to those who aren't afflicted by the curse than it does to those who are. Interesting."

I shivered and changed the subject. "Anyway, the potion doesn't have anything to do with what I want to talk to you about. Hester came to see me and asked if she could have Christmas off."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "You called me all the way up here for that? Of course she can have the day off. The woman works around the clock; she's as entitled to a holiday as anyone, more than many. I'd have thought you'd have simply told her that yourself."

"I did, actually, what I wanted to discuss with you was the menu for Christmas dinner. I'm perfectly willing to cook it." I held up a hand to forestall any complaint. "I'm actually a very good cook, and I've managed Christmas dinner before plenty of times, but I wanted you to have some input on the menu before Hester does her shopping which she wants to do right away."

"I'm quite capable of cooking a meal myself, you know." He sounded a bit put out that I wouldn't know that, although the last time I checked he, not I, was the mind reader around here. I decided to avoid an argument if possible and instead suggested something I knew I'd enjoy a whole lot more.

"Great, then we can do it together. It's always good to have another pair of hands when you're preparing a big meal. " I stopped and reconsidered that statement. "Well, almost always..."

My ex-wife was definitely an exception. She couldn't cook a decent meal if her life depended on it, and don't get me started on how hard she was on crockery.

Severus must have read my thoughts on my face, because he smirked at me and said, "The former Mrs Lupin wasn't exactly a dab hand in the kitchen, eh?"

I shook my head. "All thumbs is more like it."

"Why am I not surprised," said Severus, his smirk broadening.

I really didn't want to discuss Dora at the moment, so I turned the conversation back to where it belonged. "Anyway, we need to discuss the menu. What would you like to have for Christmas dinner?"

"Given a choice, I'd prefer a goose, with chestnut stuffing, roast potatoes, an assortment of whatever vegetables you'd like, I'm not particular, and a steamed pudding with brandy sauce or maybe a trifle for dessert."

I nodded. "Sounds good to me. Hester said she still has an apple pie in the freezer that we're welcome to, as well."

"Her pies are excellent. We could skip the steamed pudding if you wish and have the pie instead," he agreed.

"Good." Baking was the one area where my kitchen skills were a bit weak, which is probably odd considering how much I like sweets, but being able to make simple, inexpensive meals has always been a much bigger priority for me than managing the intricacies of dessert making. I got to my feet. "I'll just go down and discuss the grocery list with Hester then."

"Fine." He looked me over carefully again. "You seem to have recovered from your reaction to the potion fumes."

"Yes, fortunately, the nausea is usually temporary. I feel fine now."

He nodded. "You should probably stay out of the basement for the next couple of days."

"Don't worry, I will," I exclaimed fervently. A herd of rampaging thestrals couldn't drive me back down there again at the moment!

He turned to leave and I spoke again. "Before you go, there's one more thing I wanted to ask you."

"What?"

"It occurred to me when I was talking to Hester that she never really takes any time off. Shouldn't she have at least one day off a week? No one should have to work all the time."

"I agree. As far as I know, she hasn't mentioned anything about having a regular day off, but feel free to broach the subject with her when you discuss the menu. Just let her choose any day she wishes, I don't think it matters, do you?" he asked.

"Not to me," I said.

"Fine, now if there's nothing else I really do need to get back to my potion."

"Nope, nothing else. Thank you, Severus."

He grunted and waved a hand in my direction before walking out of the room. I waited a moment then followed him down the stairs, admiring the view. The trousers he was wearing today fit him particularly well. Although I almost never saw him other than completely clad from head to toe, I had a feeling that Severus had really nice legs, and his bum wasn't half bad either.

I trailed him into the kitchen and stopped beside the table, watching as he continued on, opened the basement door, and vanished into the depths of the house. I stood lost in a pleasant daydream until Hester's voice jarred me back to reality.

"So, when are you finally going to make your move?" she said.

My eyes widened in surprise and I turned to find Hester watching me from the doorway to the pantry. The look on her face was one of amusement.

"What?" I exclaimed, wanting to be darned sure that I'd heard her right before saying anything I might regret.

"You heard me," she said with a smirk. "It's not as if you've been particularly subtle or anything. You watch him all the time, as if he was a chocolate sundae and you desperately wanted to lick his spoon."

I could feel my face growing warmer as I looked at her. If she'd noticed, then Severus must have…

As if she could read my mind, and sometimes, despite her protests that her magic wasn't very strong, I did wonder about the mind reading, she said, "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure he hasn't noticed. I've never met anyone with a stronger shield around them. He's one to keep himself to himself… to an extreme. He's not self-absorbed as much as self-protective, if you know what I mean."

I did, and I thought she had it exactly right.

"But whenever he thinks you aren't looking his way, he looks at you just like you look at him."

My hopes rose a tiny bit. "Really? You think Severus might be interested in me?"

"He's more subtle about it, but yes, I do. So I'll ask you again… when are you going to make your move? Time doesn't wait forever, you know. You could wait too long."

I turned back to the closed basement door and shook my head, thinking about it. "I don't know if I will. I'm not sure what you think you've noticed, but I haven't seen any special sign that he's interested in me. Oh, he's become a bit easier to get along with lately, I'll grant you, but frankly, considering how antagonistic our relationship has always been, any small change on his part would feel pretty significant to me. I'm afraid I'd need more than his refraining from yelling at me and scowling every time he sees me before I'd dare to make any move that he might perceive as an advance."

"Hmmmph, well, it's up to you, but I think you're making a mistake by not at least trying," she said.

"Maybe, but if we're wrong and he isn't interested, it would make living here with him pretty uncomfortable, and I'm committed to staying for the next year whether we find the treasure or not. I don't think I can chance messing that up. For the moment, I think I need to leave well enough alone and keep my fantasies to myself. Now about that shopping list..."

Hester and I dropped the subject of Severus and his feelings, discussed what she should pick up at the store, and arranged for her to begin to take Thursdays off after the Christmas holiday. After she'd gone, I climbed the stairs back to the library and thought about what she'd said. Did I dare make a move on Severus outside of my dreams? Sadly I came to the conclusion that, at the moment I didn't, not without some indication from him that he was interested. In the end, I contented myself with promising not to move out without giving it a try. That gave me eleven months and an odd number of days to gather my courage. Hopefully that would be enough time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: Christmas Eve**

After serving us a hearty breakfast on Christmas Eve, Hester took her bag and left for her friend's house. I gave her my present before she left. She seemed surprised to receive the gift but touched. I really hoped that she'd like the gloves, but I'd have to wait until after Christmas to find out for sure.

Severus dived back into the basement as soon as he finished eating, commenting that he wished to complete the initial construction phase of the potion before dinner so he could leave it to stew for the next few weeks with a minimum of fuss. I didn't try to stop him. The sooner that potion was finished the better as far as I was concerned and not just because I was the one who had to take it.

His defection left me to my own devices and, after washing up the breakfast dishes, I wandered out of the kitchen in search of something to pass the time. Somehow with Hester gone, the house seemed emptier, not that she took up very much space, but with one less person around, you could really feel the difference. The silence of the large empty rooms seemed deeper, more profound, and the ticking of the grandfather clock in the front hall suddenly felt like a beating heart, measuring off the life of the structure that surrounded me.

As I wandered aimlessly through the downstairs rooms, I considered searching them for clues to the treasure, but I couldn't really summon up the energy. In the end, I simply retreated to the familiar comfort of the library, lit a fire and perused the shelves more carefully than I had before.

I found several books that I set aside to read later, but for the first time I also noticed what a large and in depth collection of books on divination the shelves held. I found myself wondering whether the books belonged specifically to Miss Sparling or whether they'd been collected by some other member of her family. Hester never mentioned that Miss Sparling had been a clairvoyant, but if the books were hers, they certainly indicated a very deep knowledge of the subject. Some of the titles were very heavy going. It definitely wasn't the collection of someone with only a casual interest.

I looked up at the portrait over the mantelpiece. "Are all these books on divination yours?" I asked. The bound woman simply stared back at me, making no particular effort that I could discern to indicate an answer.

I shrugged. It didn't really matter whose books they were, but knowing whether they belonged to Miss Sparling or not would help give me a clearer picture of what sort of woman she'd been, and the more I learned about her, the more interested I became in discovering what else there was to know.

Outside, it was a gloomy day with heavy clouds that scudded rapidly across the sky and a strong wind off the ocean that rattled the windows and whistled through any crack, no matter how small. So I spent most of the morning settled by the fire, reading one of the books I'd found, a rather good classic mystery by a well known Muggle author.

Then, just before lunch time, I finished wrapping the few Christmas gifts I'd bought and set them aside to be sent off later. I took a longer time fussing over the package for Severus, using the nicest paper I had and fashioning a huge bow out of shiny silver ribbon.

When I got hungry, I went downstairs and made myself a sandwich for lunch and did the same for Severus, calling down to the basement and letting him know it was waiting for him. After my experience the previous day, I didn't really want to revisit his lab when he was brewing that vile concoction.

I thought I received an answering grunt, but decided not to press the issue. He was a grown man and would no doubt come upstairs looking for food whenever he wanted it. Instead, after eating my lunch alone, I cast a preservation spell over his lunch and left it on the table along with a note telling him I'd gone out for awhile but would be back in time to make dinner. Then I collected my packages and my cloak and left the house.

I Apparated to Diagon Alley, where I mailed off my packages and spent the rest of the afternoon window shopping and browsing in various bookshops. Here the sky was brighter overhead. The air was cold but not frigid, and the crowds were bustling and merry in anticipation of the coming holiday. I enjoyed myself thoroughly though I saw no one I knew to speak to. Sometimes being alone in a crowd could be the most depressing feeling on earth then, at other times, it was perfectly enjoyable. I suppose it all depended on your state of mind, and the mood of the crowd around you.

Today was unquestionably one of the good days. There was a pleasantly expectant air all around with Christmas coming and no lingering horrors to dampen anyone's enthusiasm. It was an enjoyable change from Christmases of the recent past. Even last year, while an improvement for most people from the years of oppression and war, hadn't been a particularly good one for me.

Dora and I had just separated and were filing for divorce, my prospects of employment were as grim as ever, and in general, life hadn't looked especially promising. Things felt very different this year. Yes, my marriage was over and I was still coming to terms with the fact that I was no longer a father, but suddenly I had a comfortable place to live, some money in my pocket, access to the disgusting but invaluable Wolfsbane Potion, and I was living with Severus Snape.

Not everyone would count that final fact as a blessing, but I did, more and more all the time. Yes, this would undoubtedly be the best Christmas I'd had in a long time and I intended to enjoy every moment of it. So today I was quite content to wander around and soak in the general good humour of the life that surrounded me in anticipation of a wonderful holiday to come.

When I arrived back at Greycliffs in the dusky light of late afternoon, I found Severus had eaten his lunch and left the dishes in the sink for me to deal with. So I wasted no time finding an apron and setting to work. After I cleared away the dishes, I set the kitchen table for two. I saw no reason to cart things into the dining room when we could eat comfortably and a bit more informally right there.

Then I started in on dinner. I decided to go with something simple that I knew I could do well and settled on mashed potatoes, salad and steak. If Severus wasn't ready to eat when I had everything ready, I knew a great preservation spell that would keep everything warm and fresh until he was. One of the few benefits of having been married to an Auror who was often late for meals- if she didn't miss them entirely- was that it had forced me to learn all the tricks of keeping a meal at that perfect temperature point until whoever it had been cooked for was ready to eat it.

Of course, I was getting pretty hungry myself as I cooked, so I wasn't above opening the door to the basement and using a spell to waft the mouth-watering aromas down the staircase, just to be sure that Severus knew what was waiting for him. It seemed to work, too. I only had to call down once and tell him that dinner was ready before he was bounding up the stairs with a bottle of wine in his hands.

I set the platter of steaks on the table and smiled at him. "Perfect timing. Where did you get the wine?"

He crossed the room to the drawer where Hester kept various utensils and fished around until he came up with a corkscrew. As he opened the wine, I took down some glasses from the cupboard.

"I spent a few minutes exploring the layout of the basement earlier. There's a rather well-stocked wine cellar down there. When I got a whiff of what you were fixing, I simply went in and selected something that would go with steak. There are one or two very nice wines that should go quite well with the goose tomorrow, too."

He poured out two glasses and handed one to me as we took our places at the table. I took a sip of the wine and nodded my appreciation. "Excellent choice."

Severus nodded after he, too, had tasted the wine. "It is rather good. I don't know who stocked the wine cellar but whoever it was seemed to do an admirable job."

"It certainly tastes good to me, but I'm no connoisseur. Wine is a hobby I could never afford."

"I learned a few things during the time I spent associating with Malfoy." Severus grimaced faintly. "Excellent food and drink was one of the few perks of spending time at Malfoy Manor. I had to pay for it, of course, by deferring to Lucius in all things whether he deserved such deference or not. Still, it all served its purpose in the end."

I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. I realised that I knew almost nothing of what Severus went through during his time as a spy for Dumbledore, but even though I was curious, I knew better than to ask. It didn't take a genius to know that, although there were probably some relatively good memories, the majority of them had to be horribly painful to look back on, and I didn't want to cause Severus any pain if I could avoid it. The past was thankfully gone for good. We should be looking toward the future, and hoping it would be a better time. So I just raised my glass and said simply, "To happier times ahead."

He stared at me silently for a long moment and I wished once again that I was the one who possessed the ability to read thoughts. Just when I was about to lower my glass and accept that he wasn't going to toast with me, he raised his glass to mine and clinked them together softly.

"To happier times," he murmured and took a deep drink.

As he lowered his glass and the silence lengthened, I fumbled around for a topic to keep some conversation going. "So how is the potion coming along?" I asked. Not the most original subject to seize on I suppose, but it was a start.

A faint smile ghosted across his face, as he began to cut into his steak. "It's at the simmering stage where it'll remain for the next few weeks, with occasional stirring and one or two final additions. I'm sure it'll turn out to be adequate for your needs."

"I never doubted that, Severus. As disgusting as the potion is to me, I know its value, and yours has always been the best and most effective I've ever had."

Although he nodded and looked faintly pleased, he continued to eat without further comment. I tried a couple more times to get some conversation going, but I was never quite successful. Sitting together in quiet companionable silence with Severus was something that was beginning to feel familiar, but I would have preferred more conversation had we been able to light on an acceptable topic. Still, it was a step in the right direction, at least most our silences tended to be comfortable ones now.

After dinner was over, he helped me with the dishes. I washed and he dried and we had things sorted in no time. As we left the kitchen and climbed the stairs to the library, Severus even complimented me on the meal. Since he cleaned his plate, I knew he hadn't disliked what I produced, but it certainly felt good to hear something approving from him instead of the more usual complaints.

When we'd settled in the library, Severus with a glass of brandy by the fire and me with my book, my glance fell on the box of photographs that I'd left over in the corner when I'd put up the tree. I set my book aside and got up to go look through them.

"What's in the box?" asked Severus. His voice registered only a modicum of curiosity and he showed no inclination to move from his spot on the sofa.

I smiled at him and reached into the box to remove two of the albums. "When I was up in the attic fetching the Christmas decorations, I accidently brought this box down as well." I held up one of the albums.

"They seem to be photographs of Miss Sparling's family. Since it's your family, too, I thought you might enjoy looking at them."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't reply as I crossed the room to sit beside him on the sofa. I opened one of the albums and set it across my knees. After a moment's hesitation, he moved a bit closer, enough that our shoulders just touched and I slid the album toward him so it rested on one of his legs and one of mine.

Slowly we paged through pictures of strangers. I wondered as I looked at their faces and their often grim expressions, what their lives had been like. I didn't get the impression that they were particularly happy people, but even with magical photographs it could be hard to judge. Most of these people simply stared back at us, making no real effort to move around or communicate anything through their posture or facial expressions.

"Does anyone look familiar to you?" I asked Severus after we'd gone through half the first album in silence.

He shook his head. "No, but I don't really find that surprising. Look at the clothing they're wearing; these aren't recent pictures, and my contact with my mother's family was minimal in the extreme. Other than that one visit here, and one or two brief visits with my grandparents when I was quite young, I have no memory of any of them. They didn't approve of my mother's marriage and, although it had to have been apparent to her fairly quickly, she never admitted that marrying my father was the mistake it so clearly was."

I looked at him in surprise. "I'm sorry to hear that your parents' marriage wasn't a happy one." Severus had never spoken of his family life to me, which was hardly surprising. Over the years I'd come to the conclusion that he hadn't exactly enjoyed an idyllic childhood, but I never expected to get any details and I didn't press for them now. It was clear that our conversation was making Severus uncomfortable and that was the last thing I wanted.

I picked up the second album, opened it and laid it on top of the other one. "Maybe this album will have someone familiar in it." I glanced down at the pictures. "Judging by the quality of the photographs and the style of dress, it's a bit more modern."

The stiffness of the shoulder lightly pressed to mine seemed to ease as we left the subject of his parents behind, and he shot me a glance that I could only describe as grateful before immersing himself in the album once more.

"Yes." He pointed to a picture of a middle-aged couple who looked a bit cheerier than many of those I'd seen. "Those are my grandparents. My grandmother was Miss Sparling's sister." He then pointed to a picture of a tall, formidable looking man with a moustache and dark, rather cold eyes. "I believe that's my great grandfather, Mordecai Sparling, who owned this house before Aunt Audra."

"He doesn't look like someone I'd want to cross," I said as I examined the man in the picture more closely.

Severus smiled grimly. "No, from what I've heard of him, he was a bit of a martinet. I can't say I'm sorry we never met."

We continued to turn pages, leaning in together to look at the pictures we came across. Very quickly I began to find it difficult to concentrate on the photographs with Severus sitting so close beside me.

The warm pressure of his thigh against mine, of his shoulder continually brushing mine was consuming much more of my attention than the pictures that I'd been so interested in just a short time before. His scent, usually so inviting, held overtones of wolfsbane from which I instinctively shrank, but they were faint and almost overcome by the much more enticing warm male scent that was his alone. Sitting like this was intoxicating, but I wanted more.

He pointed to a picture. "Here's one of Aunt Audra and my grandmother as young women."

I had to force my eyes, which had been admiring his strong profile, to look down at the album on my knees.

"They look happy," I said, for surprisingly they did. This photograph was really quite charming and rather different from most of the others. Here two young women giggled together about something at which we could only guess.

I smiled and looked up at Severus and found his eyes on me. Our gazes locked together and I suddenly felt this tremendous pull; I couldn't resist it, nor did I want to. Severus has compelling eyes, deep and dark and mysterious, and it almost seemed as if I was falling into them. I could feel myself shifting closer and closer, inch by inch. My focus dropped from his eyes to his mouth, so sensuous, with lips slightly parted, inviting me in, and I knew suddenly that now was the time. To hell with caution and excuses, for better or worse, I was going to kiss him. It was what I wanted more than anything. I closed my eyes and committed myself to my fate.

Then, in that instant before our lips actually touched, there was a sudden loud bang, and startled, we instinctively turned away from each other to see a house-elf laden with parcels and wearing a Hogwarts tea-towel standing in front of the Christmas tree, smiling innocently up at us.

"Winty is bringing Christmas gifts to former Headmaster Snape and former Professor Lupin from your friends at Hogwarts!" the elf said in a gay, spritely, and slightly sing-song voice.

She was the very picture of Christmasy cheer with her arms laden with brightly wrapped packages and a green bow hanging rakishly from one wide, floppy ear, and I had never in my life wanted to murder anyone quite so much. My only consolation was that Severus didn't look any more pleased to see her than I did.

He was polite however, and we set the photograph albums aside, accepted Filius and Minerva's gifts from the elf, and placed them under the tree, alongside the ones from Molly and Harry that had arrived earlier in the day.

After Winty left, a second, somewhat more official looking elf, appeared with gifts for both of us from the Minister for Magic himself. This surprised me quite a bit, though Kingsley and I had always exchanged holiday greetings, it had never extended to gifts before, and I could only attribute it to Severus's position at the Ministry and Kingsley's inherent politeness in not wanting to leave me out now that Severus and I shared a dwelling.

After all these comings and goings, the mood, such as it was, was irretrievably broken, and I wasn't surprised to hear Severus announce that he was going to bed. He wished me goodnight, while studiously avoiding my eyes, and left, leaving me standing by the Christmas tree wanting to start the evening over, after first placing much stronger anti-apparition wards around the house.

With a sigh, I flung myself into a chair and stared into the fire until the sounds of Severus using the bathroom and settling in for the night ceased. Then I got up and went to my room, retrieved his Christmas gift and returned to the library to place it under the tree. I set it in behind several of the other presents so it wasn't particularly noticeable, and stepped back to admire the effect. The tree did look lovely with its green branches framing the colourful packages and its ornaments twinkling in the firelight. In truth, I was quite surprised at the number of gifts that were nestled beneath the boughs. I'd never expected there to be so many.

Feeling reasonably content despite my earlier disappointment, I doused the fire in the fireplace and went to my room, hoping I'd have better luck in my dreams than I'd had in the library.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: A Matter of Trust**

I woke the next morning to the sound of sleet tapping on my window. My dreams had been full of Severus, and although the details faded with my waking, I was left with a general feeling of happiness that carried me over into the day despite its gloomy visage. After all, it was Christmas. Severus and I were alone in the house. We'd cook a meal together, open our presents and maybe I'd find the courage to try once again for a kiss.

Although I was disappointed that we'd been interrupted last night, I was encouraged by how close we'd come. Surely Severus had been as aware of what we'd been heading towards as I had, and he hadn't pulled away, hadn't lowered those magnificent brows in my direction or said anything to indicate in any way that he wasn't willing. All of which seemed to indicate that my chances of success were high. So to hell with caution and restraint; today was the day!

I got up and dressed quickly, tossing on my blue sweater and my faded but intact jeans- the best casual clothing I owned. I ran a comb through my hair and left my room. Severus's door stood open, his room empty. His bed was neatly made, so I headed off down the hallway. When I passed the library, I peered inside, but that room was empty too, the presents under the tree looked untouched so I continued on my way down to the kitchen.

By the time I reached the staircase, I could smell the enticing aromas of coffee and frying bacon drifting up from downstairs. My mouth began to water as I deeply inhaled what I considered to be two of the world's best smells, and I increased my pace, bounding quickly down the stairs and on down the hallway into the warm, inviting kitchen.

Severus stood at the stove, frying bacon and eggs. A pot of coffee stood on the table, set for two, along with two glasses of juice and a plate of buttered toast.

As I entered the room, he shot a glance my way.

"Good morning. I trust you slept well. Coffee, juice and toast are on the table, eggs and bacon will be ready shortly."

"Happy Christmas, Severus! Everything smells wonderful. I'm starving." I noted appreciatively how nice he looked in well fitting dark trousers and a particularly soft looking moss green jumper.

Richard V, who'd apparently been keeping Severus company, took one look at me and deliberately sauntered off into the pantry. I'd noticed the cat's presence more and more often around the house lately, but he didn't seem to want to be my friend. I was neither surprised nor offended. Ever since I became a werewolf, cats tended to give me a wide berth. Clearly Richard was being a bit friendlier with Severus, though, I noticed a fair amount of cat hair clinging to his trouser legs.

As I sat down and poured myself a cup of coffee, Severus came to the table and set a plate of warm food in front of me before setting down his own plate and taking his seat.

"As far as I can tell, you're always starving," he said with a quick smile.

I laughed and nodded. "True. One of the effects of having a higher than normal metabolism is that I'm always ready to eat."

I tucked into my meal with enthusiasm. Everything tasted as good as it looked. Somehow I resisted the impulse to lick my plate clean when I finished, but it was a near thing. Instead I sat back and smiled happily at Severus. "That was great, Severus, thank you."

He inclined his head politely while dabbing at the corner of his mouth with his napkin. "I'm glad you liked it. I enjoy cooking, though I haven't often cooked for more than myself."

I got up and began to clear the table. "Since you cooked, I'll clean up."

There weren't many dishes with just the two of us, so while I washed up, Severus dried and put away the dishes, and we were done quite quickly.

Once the last plate was back in the cupboard, we stood and looked at each other awkwardly for a moment. Then I said, "Do you want to go upstairs and open our gifts?"

He hesitated for a moment before replying. "You go ahead. I just want to nip down to the lab and check on the Wolfsbane Potion. I won't be long."

"All right," I said as he turned and vanished into the cellar. With a shrug, I turned and made my way back upstairs to the library, where I took a moment to light a fire before stepping back and looking up at the portrait over the mantel.

"Happy Christmas, Miss Sparling," I said to the silent woman watching me. "I'm sorry that we haven't been able to get the Binding Spell removed yet, but I'm sure that Filius is doing his best to come up with something. He's very clever with Charms."

Miss Sparling's eyes glittered, but of course she couldn't really respond to me, and I silently cursed Skyrm's cruelty once more. The more I discovered about Horace Skyrm, the less I liked the man.

I sat down on the sofa by the fire and looked down at the presents under the tree and was suddenly surprised to see that there was one rather large box that hadn't been there when I'd gone off to bed the night before. Curious, I got down on my hands and knees and pulled it out from under the overhanging branches that partially screened it. It was addressed to me and, even more surprisingly, it was from Severus. He'd given me a Christmas gift!

I pulled the box into my lap and just sat there staring at it for a long moment. It was wrapped in very expensive green foil paper and was topped with a large golden bow. Although the package was fairly heavy, it made no sound as I shook it gently, trying to determine what might be inside.

An amused voice interrupted my close examination of the present. "You know you could just open it and find out what's inside. It _is_ addressed to you."

I looked up in surprise to find Severus leaning against the door frame, with his arms crossed and a smile gently quirking the corners of his lips. I smiled in response.

"You got me a Christmas present," I said.

He snorted softly and dropping his arms to his side, he came to stand next to me by the tree and shrugged casually.

"Presents are traditional at Christmas. We're sharing a house, at least for the next year. It seemed a bit churlish not to get something for you," he said.

I looked up at him and my smile broadened. "Thank you," I said, and he inclined his head in response. I set my present aside and reached under the tree to pull out the gift I'd bought for him. I held it up.

"I bought something for you, too."

He looked surprised for a moment before sitting down on the floor beside me and taking the gift from my hands. "Thank you."

I smiled broadly and nodded. "You're welcome." So far so good.

The two of us sat there and stared at each other for a moment before I swallowed and picked up his gift to me. "Well, I guess I should find out what this is."

He nodded and we both opened our gifts at the same time. Inside my box, wrapped in a swaddling of tissue, was a lovely cloak in a deep midnight blue and a pair of warm leather boots. Both items were of excellent quality, and I was amazed that Severus had spent so much money on me.

I looked up from admiring my gifts to see that he'd hung the scarf I bought for him around his neck and was trying on the black gloves with an appreciative smile on his face. He really had a lovely smile that lit up his whole face and gave a hint of softness to his strong features. As I sat there admiring him once more, I realised suddenly that he'd been smiling a lot more frequently lately, and I hoped it was because he was feeling happier and more content.

I set my presents aside and slid closer to him. As my leg brushed his, he glanced at me, and I smiled happily and said, "Thank you, Severus. The cloak and boots are perfect. Just what I needed."

"Considering the state your current cloak and boots are in, it wasn't difficult to determine that they needed to be replaced. I believe I've pointed it out more than once, actually. Since you hadn't set aside enough money to do so, I thought new ones would make an appropriate gift." He hesitated for a brief moment before adding, "Thank you for the scarf and gloves. They're very nice."

I reached out and stroked the scarf gently and let my hand remain lightly on his shoulder as I said, "When I saw this scarf in the shop, it immediately reminded me of you. I'm glad you like it."

"Yes, it's... it's a perfect choice. Thank you."

His eyes bored into mine and his voice had softened almost to a whisper. Without pausing to think about it, I leaned in and brushed my lips lightly against his, and as we touched, he reached up and put a hand on my shoulder, pulling me closer.

That kiss was everything you'd expect a first kiss to be, soft and gentle, slightly awkward and heart-poundingly wonderful as we took a great many slow, lazy moments to gently explore each other. I felt his hand move from my shoulder, brush lightly against the edge of my jaw and then those long beautiful fingers pushed into my hair and cradled the back of my head as he leaned in toward me and deepened the kiss.

I was completely lost in the moment, revelling in the feeling of his lips on mine, of finally being able to touch and taste and experience that which I'd dreamed about for so long, when he suddenly pulled back and dropped his hand from my head.

I felt a prickle of worry as I noted the troubled frown on his face. "Severus?"

He swiftly got to his feet and paced across the room to look out the window, every line of his body suddenly tense. All that had been so warm and happy within me a moment before grew cold and still, and I felt the first hint of bitter churning in the pit of my stomach. I got to my feet as well, though I didn't move any closer to him.

"What's the matter, Severus?" I asked quietly. "I thought you wanted that kiss as much as I did."

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked with an abrupt edge to his tone. "What do you want from me?"

"What do I want?" I asked in surprise. I really thought the answer to that was obvious. "I want you!"

Severus's eyes narrowed and as he stood there alone and stiff in the far corner of the room, it suddenly hit me that he was afraid. I could smell the faintly bitter tang of fear in the air, but until now, Severus had managed to keep it so deeply buried that I'd almost missed it. The question was... what was he afraid of? Me or his reaction to me?

"Oh, yes, that was very obvious," his tone dripped sarcasm. "But what I don't understand is why? What do you want, Lupin? What do you really want? You've been ingratiating yourself to me ever since you moved in here. Being so polite and friendly, making yourself so useful, complimenting me on everything from my excellent job at rounding up Death Eaters to my stellar abilities as a potion maker. You even signed away your rights to the inheritance and now here you are making physical advances. There must be a reason for it."

"You kissed me back," I said simply, rather stunned by his take on our last month together.

His frown deepened. "I won't deny that I'm physically attracted to you. You're exactly the sort of man I've always found most desirable, and ever since I discovered that you, too, are mainly interested in men, I've been finding it harder to ignore that attraction, but it changes nothing. I still want to know what you want from me. You've never liked me..."

"That's not true," I said firmly. "I've always liked you."

"Ha! That's a bold faced lie if I ever heard one. You certainly didn't like me back when we were at school together."

"Oh, yes, I did," I asserted firmly. "Even back then, I found you attractive and interesting."

"Nonsense! You and your friends tormented me whenever you got the chance. That's hardly the behaviour of someone who 'liked' me."

"Believe it or not, I managed to stop more of their antics than you know about, though I realise I didn't do enough. I should have done more, stood up to them more often and more forcefully, I know that," I admitted. "I wanted to, but I was afraid. Okay? I don't deny it! I know my shortcomings, Severus, I've never tried to hide them. I've apologised to you for this before, and I'll do it again as often as you need to hear it. There's nothing I regret more in my life than the fact that I wasn't strong enough to face down James and Sirius on your behalf, but I can't change the past. It is what it is. I was hoping that we might finally be able to leave all of that in the past."

"You expect me to just forget all the injustices of the past?"

I almost laughed at that. Expect Severus Snape, the unchallenged master of holding a grudge, to just put them aside and move on? No, I was forced to admit that I knew better than that. I'd allowed my intense attraction to the man to overwhelm my sense of reality for a time, but now, looking at his stiff, wounded face, I knew I'd been dreaming. No matter how attracted he might be to me, he'd never be able to put the past aside. He'd been too deeply hurt to ever let it go, and I was all there was left to blame.

I blinked back the bitter tears that began to prickle at the back of my eyes. I'd been an idiot. For Severus, the past was like yesterday and every slight, every humiliation, every argument was as fresh and painful now as it was when it happened. I couldn't fight that. No one could. I was a fool to even try.

"No," I whispered. "I don't expect you to forget anything. I just hoped that maybe we could finally put all of that anger and hatred and bitterness behind us. It was a long time ago. We've both gone through so much since those days. I don't think either of us is even the same person we were back then. Time and experience change people. All I can do is tell you I'm sorry, Severus. I can't make you believe me, and I certainly can't make you forgive me. Though I would give anything I have or am if you would."

The anger seemed to drain away from Severus's face, but it left uncertainty in its place. He stared at me in silence for a long time, then finally he said, "I don't know if I can trust you."

I sank down onto the sofa and gazed into the fire. "That's what it always comes down to in the end, doesn't it? Trust."

In my experience, no one ever really trusted a werewolf. My friends... the ones I did everything for, the ones I didn't stand up to because I was so afraid they'd leave me, in the end, they didn't trust me either. It didn't matter how many times I'd been there for them, how many times I'd proved myself. When it really counted, they just couldn't take the chance, and so they trusted a lying little sneak like Peter instead. We all know how well that worked out.

I looked up at Severus, watching me warily from the relative safety of the far side of the room and felt a sudden sharp pang of loss for something I never really had and now looked like I never would.

"No one in my life, no matter how well they supposedly knew me, has ever really trusted me unconditionally because they always find the fact that I'm a werewolf nagging at the back of their mind. It's not really their fault. I have to admit that in general, dark creatures aren't known for their trustworthy characters. I guess I was a fool to think you might be able to get past that. You, who probably has less reason than anyone to trust me, and what good is a relationship without trust, right?

"Well, I suppose I have no right to complain. I certainly haven't always been the most trusting person myself. I really couldn't afford to be, but if it means anything at all, I trust you, Severus." I shook my head and looked down at the torn bits of coloured paper and crumpled ribbon piled at my feet. The bright hopes and dreams of Christmas shredded and tossed aside in the harsh light of reality.

"Your being a werewolf doesn't have anything to do with whether I can trust you or not," Severus said quietly.

I raised my head and looked at him in surprise. "No?"

He swallowed hard and shook his head, looking uncomfortable. "No. It's really my ability to trust that I doubt, not your worthiness of it. I spent half my life as a spy. Like you, I couldn't afford to trust anyone, not when so much was at stake. I lied as often as I told the truth and as easily, and sometimes I found it difficult to know where one left off and the other began. As far as I could tell, everyone around me did the same. I couldn't just open myself up and trust someone. If I was betrayed, if I trusted wrongly, I was a dead man. When you live that way for long enough, it becomes the only way you can live. The war may be over, but its effects live on."

I certainly understood the peril inherent in trusting the wrong person with a secret that was vital to your well-being. I'd made some mistakes along that line myself and paid for them in pain. I straightened up. "So where does all this leave us?"

"I'm not good at forgiveness or at setting aside old grudges, as I'm sure you know. And I'll admit that I've... kept up the appearance of hatred for you long after any real animosity I felt was gone. It just felt safer... more comfortable."

I smiled faintly but didn't interrupt. The man had the floor. I was curious to see what he did with it.

"The truth is that I largely forgave you a long time ago. After what happened at the end of your year of teaching, I took a long hard look at myself, at you, even at Black and what had happened in the past... all the things I thought I knew to be true. It was very hard for me to admit that Black was innocent of the crime he was imprisoned for. I didn't want him to be. But once I was forced to acknowledge that I'd been wrong about that, I began to wonder if there might not be other things in the past that I'd been wrong about."

He frowned at me. "Now don't get me wrong, I still despise both Black and Potter. They made my time at Hogwarts a living hell, and I still hate them both, deeply. You, however, I began to see in a different light. I'd always based most of my contempt for you on your lack of backbone in standing up to your friends, and I don't deny that I was afraid of you once I discovered what you are."

I shivered involuntarily at the thought that Severus was afraid of me. The last thing I ever wanted was for him to fear me, but as much as it pained me, I had to admit he had good reason. Everyone did.

"But when I looked back at that incident in the Shrieking Shack, I finally had to admit to myself that you weren't at fault there. As you'd said many times, you never would have chosen to take such a chance with my life because attacking me would have meant your own destruction. I'd refused to listen before because I was so outraged and so afraid and so angry at myself for being afraid.

"But finally, after the space of so many years, I was able to look back at it all without my emotions clouding the issue, and I came to understand and accept that what you'd always said, had to be the truth. You weren't a party to Black's foul actions that long ago night. What I still don't understand to this day is why you weren't more outraged by them."

Severus shook his head. "Black used you as a means to hurt me. He didn't care whether I lived or died, whether I was just frightened out of my mind or was actually harmed by the wolf. I never expected him to care. I meant nothing to him. But you... supposedly you were his friend. Why would he take such a chance with your life, and how could you forgive him for taking it?"

I sighed. "It wasn't easy. The short answer to why is that I knew Sirius wasn't thinking straight. He was angry, and he simply lashed out. He didn't think it through. He only thought about how scared you'd be to see a werewolf at the end of the tunnel. He never for a moment considered what might happen to either you or me if the wolf actually attacked you. Sirius was a very impulsive, visceral person. He acted without thinking more times than I could possibly count. He was the sort who figured it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission, mostly because he was so charming when he wanted to be that he knew forgiveness would always be given in the end.

"That was one time it almost wasn't, though. I didn't forgive him for taking that chance with our lives for a very long time. I know you wouldn't have noticed, but I didn't even speak to him for months after that night. But eventually, it came down to what it usually did... I didn't have any other friends. I knew he hadn't meant to hurt me or even you, not really. So in the end, I forgave him. Hanging onto the anger, just didn't seem worth it."

Severus shook his head. "In your place, I don't think I could have ever forgiven him."

I stood up and took a couple of steps toward Severus and spread my hands. "But you did forgive me?"

"Yes. I accepted that what happened that night wasn't your fault. I still looked down on you for never standing up to your friends, but when I took a hard look back at my own life, I found myself doing much the same thing with Lucius and his crowd. Because I was angry and bitter, I allowed myself to be led into pledging my soul to a monster, so who am I to judge?"

"Do you think we can ever really put the past behind us and start again?" I asked.

"I don't know." He stared at me earnestly, conflict and uncertainty in his eyes.

"You asked me what I wanted from you. Why I've been accommodating and polite, why I signed over my right to the inheritance to you. I hoped that you could understand that I didn't do any of those things for any sinister purpose. I've been polite and accommodating because that's the way I am. After all these years, it's fundamental to my personality to try to get along, and I had no reason not to be. Believe it or not, Severus, I'm really not a bad guy once you get to know me."

I smiled and was encouraged when he smiled faintly back.

"I want this to work," I said softly. "I've been attracted to you for a long, long time, and I looked at our having to live in the same house as an opportunity to get to know you better. I signed away my rights to the estate for the reasons I gave you at the time. Miss Sparling was your aunt..."

"Great aunt." His lips curved upward ever so slightly when he corrected me.

I took that as a good sign and smiled and nodded in return. "Right, great aunt, someday I'll remember. Anyway, it seemed as if the inheritance and the treasure, whatever it is, should belong to you. I still can't figure out why I was mentioned in her will at all. You were a relative and I wasn't, and it was clear you resented having to share it with me. I was content to have the chance to live here with you, to have good food, a nice home, and a little money in my pocket for a change. Frankly I hoped that having the inheritance all to yourself would make you happy, and that was more important to me than gaining riches that I didn't really need.

"You asked me what I want from you, and the truth is that I just want you. It's really that simple."

"When you say you want me..." Severus began, but faltered before finishing, so I finished for him.

"That's exactly what I mean." I took another step closer and allowed my admiration to show in my eyes. "As I told you, I find you incredibly attractive. I was thrilled when I discovered that we'd have to live here together for a whole year."

Severus looked sceptical. "Really. And the money had nothing to do with your enthusiasm."

I shrugged. "I signed it all over to you, and I'm still here."

That brought on another frown but he looked more thoughtful than upset at this point. I pressed on. "There's still the matter of trust, though, isn't there? Have you ever had a real relationship before?"

Severus hesitated.

"I'm not talking about just casual sex, nor am I talking about unrequited love from afar. I mean a real relationship with a flesh and blood human being and a lot of give and take."

"No, I suppose not," he admitted reluctantly.

I smiled in sympathy. "Relationships are tough. I can't say I've had much luck with them myself, but I know the value of a good one. I really want to give us a try. I understand that you don't trust me now, but if you've forgiven me for my part in our painful past, then there's hope that you could come to trust me in time, isn't there?" I held my breath. If he said no, then there wasn't any point in going any further. We couldn't build a life together without trust and I wanted that life, more than anything.

He nodded slowly. "I suppose so."

"Good." I stepped closer again, I was now only an arm's length away from him, and I could tell that most of his tension had drained away; he seemed more uncertain now than angry or upset. "All I want is a chance. I'm perfectly willing to let you take the lead and set the pace. What do you say? Are you willing to give us a try?"

Severus hesitated, seeming to wrestle with himself for a long moment. I was about ready to give up, when he nodded abruptly, apparently reaching a decision. "All right," he said, and without any more warning than that, he stepped forward, grasped me around the waist and pulled me against him. "If we're going to give this a try, then I can't think of a better place to start than where we left off before this conversation began."

I smiled into his eyes and leaned closer. "That sounds like an excellent plan to me, too," I whispered just before his mouth closed on mine once more.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Developments**

Severus was absolutely magnificent. Not in all the time since our first embrace had I ever tired of looking at him, touching him, just being with him, and I couldn't imagine that I ever would. In my admittedly biased opinion, there was no other word that even came close to describing him, particularly now, as he lay naked and spread before me on the bed. His lean torso, damp from our earlier exertions, glimmered in the light from the single candle that was now guttering in a saucer on the mantel. His back was slightly arched in anticipation of my entering his body, his breath came soft and rapid as I settled my hands on his hips.

Having already prepared him, I eased into his body inch by careful inch until I was completely engulfed. I paused for a moment and adjusted my angle slightly, smiling as he gasped in response. Then, holding his hips tightly, I began to move, slowly at first, then harder and faster.

Severus's head pushed back against the pillow and turned from side to side, the tendons of his neck taut and straining, his body arched upward as he moved with me and moaned in time to my thrusts. When I finally collapsed on top of him, we both lay exhausted but content, gasping for air as our bodies shuddered and the pounding in our chests began to subside.

I murmured a cleansing spell, before pulling the blanket up over the two of us. The candlelight flickered a few final times before leaving us lying in darkness, the only remaining illumination coming from a sliver of moonlight that had found its way through a chink in the curtain.

Severus nestled against me with a sigh, his breathing quickly fell into a gentle, regular rhythm, and I knew he'd fallen into sleep. He'd had a long day and sex tended to relax him very quickly. Of the two of us, he was almost always the first to fall asleep. We'd both found that sleeping together was much more restful and comforting than sleeping apart. It really wasn't logical, you'd think having someone else in the bed would be less restful, but that didn't seem to be the case for us. And I couldn't be happier about it; there was absolutely nothing I loved more than having him lying next to me all night.

We'd been lovers for about two months now, and I still had to pinch myself at times to be convinced it was real. After that first kiss on Christmas Day, we took things slowly. He still seemed to be wrestling with some inner demons, and I knew I had to give him all the space he needed to work things out. I'd promised to let him set the pace and I stuck by my vow, all the while desperately hoping that he wouldn't find a way to talk himself out of what I knew in my heart would be the best thing to happen to either of us in a long, long, time.

My fears were thankfully groundless. It took about a month of long, deep kisses, of petting cut short, of grumpy behaviour and long considering looks on his part before he finally came home late from the Ministry one night, stood in the middle of the library and announced in no uncertain terms that he'd had a terrible day and needed a good shagging. Since that night, we'd been shagging regularly and sleeping together almost every night. His room one night, mine the next.

Neither of us had made a move to clean out Miss Sparling's room and claim it, mostly because we weren't quite ready for the commitment that taking one bedroom and calling it "ours" would entail. It was the next place on our list of rooms to search, however. Primarily because there weren't any other rooms left. Over the course of the last three months, we'd made a thorough search of the attics, the cellars, the empty rooms on the third floor, and all of the ground floor as well, excepting Hester's rooms, of course. We'd been very thorough, but our results so far had been spectacularly disappointing.

By now, we both hoped we'd be close to solving the puzzle of Miss Sparling's treasure, but we were no further along than when we'd started. We hadn't found anything in the house that looked like a likely candidate to be a treasure, and we certainly hadn't found anything that seemed to be a clue as to what the treasure actually was either. In short, so far we'd been spectacular failures as treasure hunters, but as lovers, things couldn't really be going any better.

Despite our failure to fulfil the conditions of the will, I couldn't ever remember being happier in my entire life, and I hoped that Severus felt the same. He certainly appeared to be happy or at least, content. He smiled much more often than I'd ever seen him and physically, there was no doubt he was much more relaxed. Regular sex was probably responsible for much of that, but it seemed to extend into the rest of his life as well.

He no longer stood as stiffly, as if his spine was an iron rod and his shoulders supported the weight of the world. He seemed to have more tolerance for the errors of others, which considering the state the Ministry Potions Lab was in when he assumed control, was probably a good thing for all concerned. Now I had no illusions that he'd let me into every aspect of his life yet; our relationship was still too new and too fragile for that, but he seemed headed down the path towards real happiness, and I, who was much farther along that same path, did everything I could think of to smooth his way.

There was still the treasure hunt to be completed, however, and Severus had thrown himself into it with a new enthusiasm since we became lovers. One stumbling block was our failure to remove the binding from Miss Sparling's portrait. Filius came back for another visit just before the beginning of the New Year, but the news he brought with him was grim. He'd done a lot of research into the history and variety of Binding Charms, and had located some texts in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library that had discussed the darker versions of the spell.

In short, he found that with the darker spells, it was extremely rare for anyone other than the original caster of the spell to be successful in removing it, attempts by others often led to irreparable damage to the victim be they flesh and blood or paint and canvas. He assured us that he'd keep looking for an answer, but he held out little hope and suggested that we might want to approach the person we believed cast the original spell for help in removing it.

Neither Severus nor I had any faith that we'd be successful in persuading the odious Mr Skyrm to remove his spell voluntarily, but as soon as he showed up with our January allowances, Severus wasted no time in putting forth our request. As we predicted, the conversation that followed, didn't go well...

**xoxox...**

"_Don't be absurd! Of course I refuse to remove the binding."_

"_You admit to placing the Binding Charm then?"said Severus._

"_Yes, I admit it, why not? There's nothing you can do about it."_

"_We could haul you into court!" I exclaimed._

"_On what grounds? It's not illegal to put a Binding Charm on a portrait."_

"_What about Hester? I'm pretty sure that it's illegal to bind a person against her will," I snarled. As much as I abhorred his binding the portrait, the fact that he'd forcibly bound a living woman without her consent bothered me much, much more._

_Skyrm raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any proof that I bound Hester? Has she accused me?"_

"_You know she can't!" I spat, furious at his smug manner. _

_Skyrm smirked. "Then it's simply a case of your word against mine. You have no proof that I did anything to Hester." Skyrm dismissed the subject with a wave of his hand before continuing. _

"_At the moment, Miss Sparling's portrait belongs to neither of us. Until the two of you complete the conditions of the will, the estate is held in trust. If you fail in your bid to meet the conditions then the portrait, along with the rest of the estate, becomes my property. Therefore my interest in the Sparling estate is a matter of law, and I have a right to protect my interest."_

_Severus frowned. "So you refuse to remove the binding, then?"_

"_I just said as much, didn't I? As administrator of the estate, I am honour bound not to interfere in your quest to fulfil Miss Sparling's conditions, but I'm not required to help you either."_

"_Binding the portrait is interference!" I asserted. _

"_Maybe, maybe not. There's certainly no proof that the portrait would be of material use to you in fulfilling your quest, that's an assumption on your part, nothing more. Besides, at the time the portrait was bound, the will had not been legally filed. Your quest had not yet begun. Any action I might have taken prior to the legal start of your quest cannot be deemed interference. I'm on sound legal ground here, I assure you."_

_Severus's eyes narrowed and he glided closer to Skyrm, looming over the smaller man in a most intimidating manner. "I'd watch my step very carefully if I were you, Skyrm. Very carefully..."_

_The man blanched but held his ground. "Threats, Snape? How predictable. You're the one who should be careful. After all, you're still widely known as the murderer of Albus Dumbledore, a well-loved figure by far too many, reputation tarnishing biography notwithstanding. It wouldn't be hard to cast doubt on the pitiful excuse for your actions that's been made public. You know as well as I do that most people prefer a juicy scandal to a more mundane truth. Bringing you down wouldn't be difficult, I assure you."_

_As Severus frowned more darkly, Skyrm smirked. Then his glance slid to me and his lip twitched in disgust. "And then there's the fact that your housemate here is a dark creature, not legally considered to be human. There's a welter of laws on the books concerning a non-human's right to inherit from a human. I could tie you up in legal knots on that point alone for years, have you thought about that?"_

_The temperature of Severus's voice dropped a few degrees. "As a matter of fact, I have. There won't be any help for you there, Skyrm. I've already neutralised that avenue of advance."_

_Suddenly the contract I'd signed giving my portion of the inheritance to Severus took on new meaning. Had he realized that my claim to the estate might be legally challenged when he had me sign it? It certainly sounded as if he had. _

_Skyrm's angry voice interrupted my musing. "You and that creature don't deserve the Sparling estate. It should be mine! I more than earned it fawning all over that cold, demanding bitch, year in and year out, catering to her every wish. I earned every knut and I will find a way to collect! You should be careful with your threats, Snape. If anything happens to me, anything at all, I've left a note in a very secure place stating that the two of you are responsible."_

_Tossing the bags containing our allowances onto the table, Skyrm turned on his heel and headed for the door. "I'm finished acting as delivery boy for the likes of you. In the future, my clerk will deliver your allowances. Enjoy the estate while you can. I don't think you'll be keeping it."_

**xoxox...**

Even now, months later, I could still hear the loud slam of the door in my mind as the man stomped out of the house for the last time. True to his word, he hadn't returned, sending his clerk with our monthly allowances ever since. The clerk, a thin, nervous young man, had shown up on our doorstep the first of each subsequent month and handed over the bags of coins without saying a single word.

After our confrontation with Skyrm, we gave up the idea of forcing him to remove his binding spells and simply moved ahead in our search for the treasure.

I sighed and turned my head to look at Severus, his serene face barely visible in the fading moonlight. I shifted my body very carefully so that I was facing him and closed my eyes, letting the soft regular hum of his breathing calm my mind. Whether we succeeded in finding Miss Sparling's treasure or not, I knew I'd already found the treasure that mattered to me.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

Severus and I were just sitting down to lunch the following day when Hester came into the dining room and announced that we had a visitor.

"I know we've discussed this before," she said to Severus with a frown. "If you'd only tell me when people are expected, I could have the morning room prepared."

"Yes, we have discussed this, and I would have told you if I was expecting anyone to call, but I wasn't." Severus placated the housekeeper before turning to me with a frown. "Why assume any visitor would be for me, anyway? Lupin lives here, too. Are you expecting a visitor today?"

I shook my head. "I'm not expecting anyone."

"The lady asked to speak to you, Mr Severus," said Hester firmly.

"Did she give her name?" he asked.

She nodded. "She said her name was Minerva McGonagall."

We looked at each other in surprise. What would take the Headmistress of Hogwarts away from school during term?

We got to our feet. "Is she in the morning room, Hester?" I asked.

"No, since I hadn't had a chance to open it, I took her up to the library. I hope that's all right. She had several hovering bags and trunks with her, but they just floated on up the stairs behind her as nice as you please. There's a lady who knows her levitating charms." Hester nodded admiringly.

Severus and I left the dining room and went up to the library to see what Minerva wanted.

When we entered the room, we found a pile of trunks and boxes sitting in the middle of the library floor while Minerva herself stood in front of the fireplace staring up at the portrait of Audra Sparling with a sympathetic frown on her face.

"Filius told me about the binding on this portrait, but I must admit, even knowing about it in advance, I find it quite shocking to look at." She turned to us with a smile. "He's still working on a solution for you when he can find a spare moment, you know."

"He said he would," I replied with a smile. "It's good to see you, Minerva. What brings you for a visit?"

She smiled fondly at us and indicated the pile of boxes and trunks. "Hello, Remus, Severus, you both look well. We were doing a spot of housecleaning at the castle, and I thought I'd just bring what was found along to you. I confess I was curious to see your house, too. Filius raved about the place when he came back from his visit before Christmas." She glanced admiringly around the library. "It really is lovely. This is a charming room. Very comfortable."

Severus nodded, his eyes, too, on the pile of belongings that I'd just realised probably belonged to him. "I didn't realise that I'd left so much behind at Hogwarts." He shifted his gaze to our guest as she crossed from the fireplace to stand beside us. "I always knew that I might have to make a hasty exit that last year, so I put many of my more valuable things in storage elsewhere. I thought I cleaned out what little I'd left in the Headmaster's suite about a month after the battle, apparently I missed a few things. My apologies."

"You cleaned out the Headmaster's rooms quite thoroughly, but you neglected to get everything out of your old rooms in the dungeon, and you'd put a fair amount of potion equipment into one of the storage rooms when you took over the Defense Against the Dark Arts position and ceded Potions to Horace."

Severus nodded. "You're right, I'd forgotten about the potions equipment. Once I gave up teaching the subject, I had little use for it and since I left Hogwarts for good, it's only recently that I've gone back to it. All of this will come in handy. Thank for you bringing it back to me."

"You're most welcome, but it wasn't a problem. As I said, I was curious to see your new home." She smiled.

"We should have invited you to visit before this," I said feeling slightly embarrassed. "But most of the house is closed off and we've been spending our time searching and making a bit of a mess rather than opening it up for company."

"Searching?" Minerva looked intrigued. "What are you searching for?"

"A treasure!" I said emphatically and my smile broadened as I saw Severus roll his eyes at my enthusiastic tone.

"A treasure? What sort of treasure?" Minerva smiled, looking back and forth between us.

I laughed. "We're not really sure."

"Then how will you know when you find it?" she asked quite reasonably.

"That's a very good question; unfortunately we don't have an answer for it. We were just about to sit down to lunch, Minerva. Would you like to join us?" Severus asked.

"If you'll explain about this treasure of yours, then yes, I'll be happy to join you. I don't have to be back for an hour or two. Thank you."

We left the library and headed back downstairs; when we entered the dining room, we found that Hester had anticipated us and an extra place had already been set at the table. Once we sat down and were served another one of Hester's wonderfully tasty meals, we wasted no time in filling Minerva in on the puzzling particulars of Audra Sparling's will.

"So Audra Sparling left you her estate in trust contingent on the two of you finding some un-named treasure? How frustrating. Do you have any idea why she'd do something so odd?" Minerva asked with a thoughtful frown.

Severus shook his head. "We've been wondering about that for more than four months now, but we haven't been able to come up with an explanation. We still don't even know why she included Remus in her will at all since they'd never met. As you say, it's all been very frustrating."

I smiled at hearing him use my given name. He did it more than he used to, but rarely when we weren't alone and every time he called me Remus, it still warmed my heart. As a thought occurred to me, I turned to Minerva and asked, "Did you ever meet Audra Sparling?"

She nodded. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I knew her very slightly many years ago when we were both at school. She was a Ravenclaw and several years ahead of me. I think she was a sixth year when I was a first. As you can imagine with so many years between us and being in separate houses, we didn't get to know each other well, but she did a bit of tutoring in Transfiguration and I got to know her a little through that. I remember being very surprised when she left school partway through her seventh year and never returned."

"She left school?" This was news to me and from his expression, I assumed it was to Severus as well.

Minerva nodded. "Yes, as I recall it was quite sudden and no explanation was ever given that I heard about. I do remember asking her younger sister Imogene about it at the time. She was only a couple of years older than I was, but she was a Slytherin and had no particular interest in Transfiguration, so I knew her even less well than her sister."

She shot Severus a sharp glance. "She was your grandmother, wasn't she?"

He nodded. "Yes. What did she say? Did she explain why her sister left school?"

"Not really. When I asked, I remember her giving me a strange look and saying... 'Never fall in love with a Muggle' and that was all she'd say. From that cryptic comment, I made the assumption that Audra _had_ fallen in love with a Muggle and perhaps left school to marry him. To be honest, I never really thought any more about it. Could that be what happened? Did she marry a Muggle?"

Severus and I looked blankly at each other for a moment before he shook his head and said, "I don't believe that Aunt Audra ever married anyone. If she did, I never heard about it."

"Well, something out of the ordinary happened to her back then that resulted in her leaving school early. I wish I could tell you what it was, but I never knew."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Evidence**

"So do you think Audra Sparling was in love with a Muggle?" I asked Severus as we both sifted through the contents of her rooms later that afternoon. I was going through the writing desk in her bedroom while Severus searched her closet, and we both considered the small amount we'd learned from Minerva over lunch.

"It sounds likely. Though I don't see how knowing about her love life helps us now."

"It helps us understand her," I said.

Severus shrugged as he examined the pockets of a gown and found nothing before shoving it to the side and pulling out the next one. "Why does it matter whether we understand her or not?" he asked.

I closed the drawer of the writing desk after finding nothing inside but blank pieces of parchment, a few pens and two or three bottles of ink. Standing up, I considered where to try next, decided on the dresser and crossed the room to pull open the first drawer as I answered him. "If we know what she valued and how she thought, it might make it easier to spot her treasure when we come across it."

Severus smiled as he pushed another dress with empty pockets to the side and reached for the next garment in line. "_When_ we come across it, not _if_? I'm beginning to think you're being rather optimistic."

"Don't say that. The treasure is real, and it has to be here somewhere."

"Does it?" asked Severus as he finished searching the last piece of clothing and stepped back with a sigh to stare up at the line of hat boxes that sat on the shelf above her clothes. "The recording told us to find her treasure and take it to heart, it never said, search the house and grounds and you'll find it waiting for you. The damned thing could be anything and anywhere."

I closed the first drawer and moved on to the second. "We have to believe that she wanted us to find the treasure, Severus, and if she wanted us to find it, then either the treasure itself or a clue to its whereabouts has to be here on the estate somewhere. That's the only thing that makes sense. If it isn't here, then we have almost no hope of finding it and there's no point to this at all except to keep us guessing."

"Or to tempt us... to give us a taste of what living here would be like only to yank it all away and hand it over to Skyrm when we failed because there is no treasure to find."

I sat back on my heels and looked at him. "You can't really believe that."

"Why not? Aunt Audra didn't care enough about me to get in touch while she was still alive. Why should I believe that she cared enough to want me to have her estate now that she's gone?" A scowl as dark as night had taken over his face which he tried to keep averted from me.

This wasn't the first time he'd raised this point and I was beginning to realise just how much having had some contact with his mother's family when he was young would have meant to Severus. I hadn't had the best of upbringings myself, but that was mostly due to my getting bitten. Becoming a werewolf tends to put an end to the carefree days of childhood, and forces you to grow up pretty fast.

My parents had loved me dearly, both before and after I was cursed, and they'd always taken care of me and did their best to shield me from the hostility of the world. It wasn't their fault that they'd failed. I'd been targeted by someone with a grudge against my father, and what happened to me destroyed him. He never got over his feelings of guilt. I was his only child, and I meant the world to him. He blamed himself for everything, and he died only a couple of years after I was bitten.

My mother, lost without him, only lived long enough to see me enter Hogwarts, a dream none of us expected to see come true once I became a werewolf. After she died, I went to stay with her sister during the summers until she, too, died shortly after I completed school. Her death left me without any family, just like Severus, but apparently unlike him, I knew that my family had loved me.

"You don't know why she never contacted you," I said quietly. "Hester told me that she wanted to, but when you were involved with Voldemort, she didn't dare. After all, she had no way of knowing what your loyalties really were."

Severus shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense. How would she have even known about my involvement with the Dark Lord? I certainly never advertised my position as one of his Death Eaters, far from it. Up until that last year of his attempt to rule over us all, no one should have been aware of my involvement with him unless they were involved in some way as well."

I'd been continuing to search through the last drawer in the dresser while Severus spoke and had uncovered a small square box hidden in a corner. I pulled it out and opened it. "Well, this might explain how she knew," I said as I reached into the box and pulled out a crystal ball about the size of my clenched fist. I held it up and the bright light streaming through the windows pierced its surface and sent glittering reflections dancing off across the walls of the room.

Severus left the closet and came over to join me, taking the crystal from my hand and turning it over in his own. "You think she was a seer?"

I shrugged and looked up at him. "The library is full of books on divination, books far too complex for someone with only a casual interest in the subject. If she was a seer, it would explain a few things."

"Such as?"

"Just some things that Hester said about the two of us not being the way Miss Sparling said we'd be. How would she know what we'd be like? She didn't actually know either one of us. Clearly she investigated us somehow. Watching through a crystal might explain her knowledge. It also might explain why she left a share in the estate to me. If she saw us together, as we are now..."

"You think she saw us living together and took steps to make it happen by leaving her money to the two of us? That's seems a bit farfetched to me." Severus handed the crystal back to me and returned to the closet.

I stared into the shimmering ball, slowly passing it from hand to hand. "Hester said Miss Sparling was always right, but that we weren't the way she expected us to be. If Miss Sparling told Hester that we were a couple, she'd have been surprised when we showed up here and weren't together. The only way Miss Sparling could have ever thought we were together was if she looked into the future. I mean, all we did in the past was argue and fight, right? Besides you don't have one of these unless you use it, do you?"

Severus snorted. "Simply having and using a crystal ball is no guarantee that anything you think you might see in it is real. Look at Sybill Trelawney and all the foolish predictions she used to spout that had no basis in reality."

"Sybill wasn't always wrong though, was she," I said.

Severus frowned and a shadow crossed his face as he reached for a hatbox. "No," he said quietly. "No, she wasn't."

I returned the crystal ball to its box, set the box back where I found it, and slid the drawer shut. Then I got to my feet and walked over to join Severus in front of the closet where he was now peering into one of the hatboxes from the closet shelf.

"What's in the box?" I asked.

He handed it to me and reached up for another one. "An appallingly ugly hat. I imagine that the rest of these boxes contain similar headgear. This is a waste of time."

I shrugged and set the box aside, agreeing with his assessment of the hat but not of how we were spending our time. "We need to be sure we've looked everywhere," I said sensibly. "Besides, what else do we have to do with our time this afternoon?"

Severus shot me a sidelong glance and the heat of it drove a shiver of desire straight to my groin. "I could think of a few things," he said, and his voice had acquired a seductive purr.

I must admit that suddenly I, too, had no difficulty thinking of better things to do, and my thoughts must have been plain on my face because in the next instant, Severus tossed the box in his hands aside unopened, closed the bedroom door with a gesture, and had me pinned to the wall as his lips captured mine in a searing kiss.

I quickly found myself quite lost in the demanding heat of his mouth. His hands, never idle, slid under my jumper and began to trace a warm path first across my chest, then down over my abdomen to the hardening bulge in my jeans. I moaned into his mouth as he opened my fly and slid his hand inside to wrap his fingers around my cock, pulling gently, as it grew in response to his touch and my need for it.

I felt my trousers and underwear slide down to pool around my ankles as he caressed my balls and slid one long finger back along the strip of flesh between my cock and my anus. I pulled him closer, one hand clutching the front of his shirt, the other deep in his hair as the blood began to pound rapidly through my veins.

Then suddenly he slid from my grasp and, kneeling in front of me, he took my engorged cock into his mouth and began to suck. I gasped and my knees weakened, my fingers wound through his hair and I moaned once more as pleasurable sensations threatened to overwhelm me.

The next thing I knew, I was on the floor with him beside me. As he continued to lick and suck on my flesh, I somehow got my trembling fingers to work with enough coordination to unfasten his trousers, shove them aside and pull his hardening member free of its imprisoning cloth. I stroked the lovely length of him firmly and felt his body shiver against me. Then I slipped him into my mouth and began to pull him into me as deeply as I could, humming gently. I was rewarded by the swelling of his cock until it throbbed at the back of my throat and the delicious feeling of Severus moaning around my own.

So overwhelmed with sensation, I wasn't sure if it took an hour or only a moment more before we came together, spilling out into each other's mouths, our bodies shuddering in concert. We lay gasping beside each other for a long moment, until I twisted myself around so we were face to face, then I smiled into his eyes and said, "You're right. This was a much better use of our time."

He chuckled lightly and I smiled to hear the lovely low sound of his amusement. That Severus now felt comfortable enough with me to actually laugh in my presence made me happier than I had words to express.

"I thought you might agree with me," he said softly. He rolled onto his side and threw an arm across my shoulders, pulling me against him, and the two of us simply lay there together until we'd caught our breath and our rapidly beating hearts had resumed their regular rhythms.

Finally we both got up, adjusted our clothes and cleaned the lingering stickiness from our bodies. Then I moved back to the closet to get another box from the shelf.

Severus sat down on the edge of the bed and said, "You won't find anything in those boxes other than ugly hats that no one will ever wear again."

"Perhaps not," I responded as I took another box down from the shelf. "But this is the only room in the house we haven't searched. We might as well do a thorough job of it."

"Oh, very well," he reluctantly agreed as he rose and came forward to pick up the box he'd cast aside earlier.

It was in the last box on the shelf that we found them. Under a peacock feather bedecked hat that was marginally less awful than most of the others was a small tissue-wrapped bundle tied with faded green ribbon. I took it out of the box and laid it on the writing desk to unwrap. Inside were three letters addressed to Audra Sparling in a strong, masculine hand, a yellow edged Muggle photograph of a very young Miss Sparling standing next to a tall, slightly older man with a moustache, and a fragile clipping from a Muggle newspaper.

"Mementos of her Muggle lover, no doubt, but hardly a treasure," Severus said.

"I'm sure they were a treasure to her." I said as I picked up the newspaper clipping and examined it. "Though a painful one," I added as I realised that the clipping was of a wedding announcement for the marriage of Richard Holmes to a Clara Shaw. The printed photograph that accompanied the notice showed the same man who'd been standing so happily next to Audra Sparling in the other picture, now standing beside a totally unfamiliar woman as they both posed in formal wedding attire.

I handed the clipping to Severus and picked up one of the letters. As I slid the letter out of its envelope and read through it, I heard Severus sigh. "So her Muggle lover married someone else, did he? Perhaps it was just as well."

"Why do you say that?" I asked as I held up the letter. "This is a love letter and I'll wager the others are as well. Clearly he loved her as much as she did him. Under those circumstances, why do you think it was better that he married someone else?"

"Because marriages between Muggles and Wizards don't tend to be happy ones. Muggles always end up resenting their magical partners for the things they can do that Muggles can't."

I knew he was speaking through the unhappy experience of his parent's marriage, but I also knew it wasn't always like that and felt compelled to say so.

"Not all Muggles resent the magic of Wizards. My mother was a Muggle, and she and my father had a very happy marriage until..." I faltered for a moment before finishing. "...until I was bitten."

"Did your mother blame the magical world for foisting such a fate on her son?" he asked in a tone that clearly said I was proving his point.

I shook my head. "No. Actually, it was my father who placed blame and that was only on himself. He'd run afoul of Fenrir Greyback and, to get back at my father, the bastard inflicted the curse on me, but my mother never blamed my father, or the wizarding world in general, for any of it."

Severus looked shocked. "Your being bitten... it was deliberate? Planned, I mean. Greyback specifically sought you out?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"I had no idea. I knew Greyback was a particularly nasty and callous monster, but I always assumed that your turning was just... blind fate. That you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Oh, I was that all right, but from what I subsequently learned, he'd waited for me through several full moons before I was unlucky enough to stray into his path. He was determined to get me. Whether it took months or years, he would have found me eventually. And he was very careful to be sure that I lived. My death wouldn't have served his purpose nearly as well as my turning did."

Abruptly I tried to bring the conversation back to Audra Sparling's failed romance, I didn't like the look of horror and pity I saw in Severus's eyes. It made me uncomfortable. The last thing I wanted from Severus was pity over something that was over and done years ago.

"I'll bet Hester knows more about what happened to Miss Sparling. We should ask her about these." I brandished the letter.

Severus nodded slowly and finally turned his gaze away from me and back to the brittle clipping he still held in his hand. "If you want... I suppose it won't hurt to ask her."

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

We found Hester in the kitchen busy with her dinner preparations and not very pleased to be interrupted, though she was too polite to say so. When I handed her the things we'd found in the hat box, she sank down into a chair at the table and sighed as she looked at the still picture of her former mistress and her one time love.

"She was so happy back then, but it all came to sadness in the end," she said with a shake of her head.

Severus and I sat down across the table from her. "Minerva, the lady who had lunch with us, knew Miss Sparling back when they were both at school," I said gently. "She said that Miss Sparling left school without finishing her seventh year, was the man she's pictured with the reason?"

Hester nodded. "Yes, Richard Holmes. She met him the summer before her seventh year when she went to spend some time with a girlfriend from school. The girls must have gone into Muggle London because that's where she met him. He worked in some shop, I think. She fell very hard for him, even snuck away from school and Apparated into London to meet with him. The poor dear was madly in love and was desperate to marry him, but her father found out and put a stop to it."

"How?" I asked.

She frowned, as if even after all this time, the memory made her angry. "He pulled her out of school and locked her up here at home for months, then one day he turned her loose without any warning and handed her this newspaper clipping," Hester pointed to the marriage announcement. "He told her that she'd have to stop being foolish now and marry someone he approved of. Of course, she told him he hadn't won yet and left the house to go and find her Muggle, but Mr Mordecai had won, at least, he'd won that battle. He never really did win the war, not with Miss Audra."

"What had Mordecai done, Hester?" asked Severus.

"He'd done something to Mr Holmes to make him forget all about Miss Audra. She went to him, talked to him, pleaded with him to remember her, but it was no good. He didn't have the faintest idea who she was. As far as he was concerned, he was in love with this other Muggle woman and had never laid eyes on Miss Audra.

"Now Miss Audra knew what her father had done, but she didn't have the knowledge or ability to undo it, so she just came home. She kept an eye on her Mr Holmes from afar, but he seemed happy enough with the woman he'd wed, so she let him be and never spoke of him again. She didn't forget though."

I looked down at the fragile mementos, carefully preserved against the passage of years, and I had no doubt that Audra Sparling never forgot either her lost love or the cruelty of her father. There seemed to be no doubt that singular, unhappy episode hung like a pall over the rest of her life, and that thought made me sad. What would make a father care so little for the happiness of his child? It was something that I, thankfully, had never had to endure, and that made me feel fortunate.

"She didn't speak to her father for months afterwards," said Hester, a slightly hard edge had crept into her tone. "Eventually she gave that up, but there was always a rather cold stiffness between them. Very formal, you know, as if they were almost strangers. In some ways they were two of a kind, both stubborn to the core. Eventually he made a good match for your grandmother." She nodded to Severus.

"But he never could get Miss Audra to consider marrying anyone after that. You wouldn't believe the number of well connected wizards he paraded through here to try to spark her interest, but she wouldn't even talk to most of them."

Hester shook her head. "Oh, the arguments they used to have, it made me want to hide under the bed and never come out. It all came to naught though. She vowed to remain a spinster until she died, and she followed through on it. It remained a bone of contention between them until Mr Mordecai died. He might not have been so stiff-necked about it if his son had lived, but Mr Arcturus died when he was little more than a babe, so Mr Mordecai only had the girls to control. He did his best to make things go the way he wanted, but he met his match in Miss Audra, yes he did."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: The Key**

As Severus and I walked into the library after breakfast the next morning so he could retrieve a folder of papers he needed to take with him to work, I stopped and stared up at Miss Sparling's portrait and thought about what we'd learned from Hester the day before. I must confess that the tale of her unhappy romance had preyed on my thoughts all the previous evening and had even figured unpleasantly in my dreams.

"Could the tampering Mordecai did to Richard Holmes's mind have been reversed, Severus?" I asked abruptly. I shivered at the very thought that anyone would do such a horrid thing in the first place.

Severus, who'd been examining the contents of his folder to be sure he had everything, looked at me in surprise. "By someone who really knew what they were doing, perhaps. Tampering with someone's mind is very delicate, risky work. The man might have ended up being harmed even more by an attempt to set things right, it's hard to say, and pointless to speculate about. Why do you keep harping on this failed romance of Aunt Audra's. It was all you could think about last night, I could tell." There was annoyance in his tone which sparked a twinge of guilt on my part.

"It was obviously the pivotal point in her life. I just can't help thinking it's important to understand it as much as we can."

"Because understanding her disappointment in love will somehow help us to find her treasure." This time there was more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and I knew he really didn't see this the way I did.

"Look," I tried to explain. "She left her estate to us... not to you... not to me... to us. I just have this feeling that she wanted someone else to have the happily ever after that she didn't get."

"And that someone is us." Scepticism was plain on his face.

"Well, yes, apparently."

"So you think her treasure is some romantic trinket that her Muggle lover gave to her?"

"Maybe, I don't know." And I didn't. I just had this feeling I couldn't shake that Miss Sparling's disappointment in love was at the heart of this treasure hunt she'd concocted for us. Over the years I'd learned to pay attention to hunches of this sort because more than a few of them had turned out to be accurate, but Severus had no way of knowing that. Not to mention that anything that smacked of soppy romanticism was always greeted with disdain by him.

Severus sighed and pressed his lips together thoughtfully for a long moment. "I think you've been stuck in this house for much too long. You're becoming obsessed with Aunt Audra and her ridiculous treasure hunt. You need to get out today, take a walk along the cliffs, rummage through a book shop, go buy yourself something decent to wear, do... something, anything else." He closed the space between us and nuzzled me under the ear before whispering fiercely, "I really don't want you as preoccupied tonight as you were last night. It was very... frustrating."

I flushed and pulled him closer, suddenly feeling very contrite. "I'm sorry; I was a bit preoccupied, wasn't I."

"Disappointingly..." he murmured before pressing his lips to mine and giving me an excellent reason to not be preoccupied with anything other than him in his presence ever again.

When he finally released me I said, "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't. Now, unfortunately, I have to go. I have an early meeting today about a new project we're about to launch."

"I'll see you tonight then." I smiled, my imagination already removing his clothes and plotting out what I'd do to him when I saw him again. The moon was waxing in the night sky and its effect on me was becoming stronger every day. Severus and I both had a tendency to want to control the more intimate aspects of our life together, but two dominant hands usually didn't work very well, so we'd fallen into a pattern of letting the phase of the moon guide who took the upper hand. So far that seemed to be working fairly well.

He smirked at me and cocked an eyebrow, obviously knowing exactly what I was thinking. "I'll look forward to it." And then he was gone and the day was already more dull.

I walked over to the window and peered out, trying to decide what to do next. Maybe I _should_ take the day off from searching. I wasn't really sure where to search next anyway. We'd searched the house from top to bottom and found nothing. There were a few small outbuildings on the estate and I knew we'd have to go through them, but I was beginning to get a bit discouraged, although I'd be reluctant to admit that to Severus. We'd been at this for nearly five months now. The year which had once seemed like a ridiculously long time in which to pursue our quest would soon be half gone and so far we had nothing to show for it.

I looked up at the portrait. "Are we really just wasting our time? Is there a treasure to find or isn't there?"

Miss Sparling's painted eyes stared down into mine for a moment then flicked abruptly away to stare at the nearest bookshelf. I sighed and dropped my own gaze and suddenly realised that there was one more place we hadn't searched, and it was as obvious as the nose on Severus's adorable face. We'd searched the library including the furniture, the fireplace, under the rug, even behind the moulding around the ceiling, but damned if we hadn't neglected to search through the books themselves.

I felt like an idiot for having missed something so obvious, but I also felt a sudden sharp renewal of my enthusiasm. I picked a section of bookcase and got to it. An hour and a half later, I opened a copy of Hans Christian Andersen's _The Little Mermaid_ and found a slender onyx key as long as my forefinger slipped into the centre of the slim little book.

I picked up the key and turned it over in my hand. It felt warm and glittered with the illusion of movement as bright daylight slid along its polished surface. No pun intended, but I was certain I now held the key to the mystery in my hand. I was also more certain than ever that Miss Sparling's lost romance lay at the heart of it all. The book chosen to house the key made that abundantly clear. Now we just had to figure out the location of the lock that this key opened.

I frowned at that thought. We'd searched the whole house and hadn't come across anything with a keyhole that this key would fit, and who made keys out of stone anyway? Any key I'd ever seen was made of metal. Even when I finally found an answer all it seemed to do was lead to more questions. I felt I'd done enough searching for one day, however. Severus was right, I needed to get out and clear my head for awhile. I was tempted to go to the Ministry in hopes of having lunch with Severus and filling him in on my find, but I didn't want to disturb him at work.

His new job as head of the Ministry Potions Lab was proving to be challenging but rewarding as well. I knew he'd found the first few weeks to be very arduous indeed, but now that he'd weeded out those who didn't meet his standards and had his own procedures and personnel in place, he seemed to be enjoying it a lot more. I think he was truly surprised by the enthusiastic way his appointment as head of the lab had been received by the other department heads as well. Although Severus didn't lack for confidence in his own abilities, he was still always surprised to find those abilities genuinely respected and valued by others. I really hoped that would change with time.

I took the precious key to my room and locked it in a drawer of my dresser. I didn't want to carry it around with me, but I didn't want to take a chance of something happening to it before I could show it to Severus either. Then once I had lunch, I headed into London to Diagon Alley.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

When I arrived in Diagon Alley, I took my time wandering around, looking in shop windows and enjoying the beautiful day with no particular plan of action. It was a warm and cloudless afternoon, fulfilling the full promise of spring with just the barest hint of the summer to come. Now that I'd finally found something that I felt pointed toward the treasure, even if I wasn't yet sure what it meant, I felt the satisfaction of accomplishment and that really buoyed my spirits.

I was looking into the window of a small antique shop and trying to decide whether or not to go inside and poke around for a bit when a voice broke into my musing. I turned around to see a tall, relaxed and rather fit young man smiling at me, and, to my embarrassment, it took me a moment to recognise him as Neville Longbottom.

"Professor Lupin? Do you remember me? It's Neville Longbottom... from Hogwarts." Neville's voice held a slight hesitancy, as if not entirely sure I'd remember him, but while it did take me a moment to recognise him, I could certainly never forget him. He'd definitely changed since the last time I saw him during the confusing aftermath of battle, but those changes were all for the better.

I smiled and stuck out my hand which he took and shook firmly. "Neville, of course I remember you, it's wonderful to see you again. You look well. No need to call me Professor Lupin any longer. I haven't taught in years. Please, call me Remus!"

"Remus... All right," he said, looking pleased.

"What are you up to these days?" I asked. I'd lost touch with quite a few people after the war was over and everyone took up their lives again and moved away from the struggle that had bound us all together. Not that Neville and I had ever been close, but I realised as I looked at him that the last few years had been more often than not lonely ones for me and it was good to see a friendly face from the past.

Because of the hateful anti-werewolf employment laws, I hadn't had the freedom to pursue a career and once my marriage disintegrated, I'd mostly just drifted along as I always had, living hand to mouth with only occasional, very casual contact with anyone from my past. Truthfully, for a long time I was embarrassed to run into any of my former acquaintances because they were all doing so well, while I wasn't, and the last thing I wanted them to think was that I was hoping for some sort of handout. That all changed with my sudden chance at an inheritance. Funny how one small and unexpected occurrence can have such a huge impact on your life. It certainly did for me, though, it brought me the answer to dreams I'd never even dared to admit to myself. It brought me Severus.

Suddenly I realised that Neville had been talking along and I'd been so lost in my own musings that I hadn't heard half of what he said. I tried to catch up without making my lapse in attention too noticeable. I didn't want him to think I wasn't interested in what he was up to when I really was.

"So you're running your own nursery now? Are you enjoying it?"

He nodded. "Oh, yes, it's a lot of work, but I love plants, always have, and I'm doing pretty well. I actually made a small profit this year, which was a nice change from my first year in business, but I guess that's not that unusual when you're just starting out."

"Not at all," I agreed. "It can take a bit of time to get going, build up inventory and a customer base, that sort of thing." Not that I really knew from experience, of course. I'd certainly never had the chance to start my own business but I'd worked lots of different jobs over the years, and I knew that flourishing businesses usually became successful through hard work and dedication, not to mention a bit of luck.

Neville nodded. "Exactly! Professor Sprout was really helpful to me in getting started. Not only with the practical aspects of the business, but she gave me a reference when I had to apply to the Goblins for a business loan."

"Oh, I thought maybe your Grandmother..." What did I know? I'd always assumed the Longbottoms had money, but maybe I'd been wrong.

"Gran put in what she could. The war was hard on her, though. She couldn't really afford to back me completely, and honestly, I wanted to do most of it on my own anyway. She's been there for me all my life. I figured it was finally time for me to stand on my own two feet, though I still did need a loan."

"I heard that getting loans from the Goblins after the war wasn't that easy and their conditions and interest rates could often be pretty stiff. Things were tight even for them. You must have presented a good case."

"I did and as I said I had support from Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall, too, but in the end, I think it was really Headmaster... oh, sorry, I guess I should say Mr Snape who helped me the most."

"Severus?" I exclaimed in surprise. I never thought Severus and Neville saw eye to eye on much of anything. I still remembered quite vividly how terrified the boy had been of him back during my year of teaching at Hogwarts.

"Yes, he came to see me after the war was over, and we talked through a lot of stuff. He told me how impressed he'd been with the resistance I'd organised at school that last year. Of course, I didn't realise it at the time, but he helped me out quite a bit behind the scenes. We really cleared the air about a lot of things." Neville grinned. "I think he was really pleased that I killed that bloody great snake that belonged to He-Who-Will-Not-Be-Mourned, too, since it had made such a mess of his neck. I was really surprised he survived that, to be honest."

"Yes, so was I, though I'm grateful he did."

"Oh, me, too!" exclaimed Neville.

"So how did Severus help you with your loan?" Yes, I was being nosy, but this was Severus after all, so you might say I had a sort of proprietary interest. That's my excuse anyway, and I'm standing by it.

"He offered to give me a character reference, same as Professor Sprout, but I think the Goblins were much more impressed with his putting in a good word for me. He seemed to have some sort of pull with them. I don't know what, exactly, but I'm certainly grateful. The rates I ended up getting were really very favourable. It made things much easier for me."

"I'm glad," I said with a smile. Severus was certainly full of surprises, which was one of the reasons I found him so intriguing.

"I heard that you and he inherited some sort of estate together. How's that going?" asked Neville.

"It's been interesting. The estate belonged to Severus's great aunt. She left it to us with a couple of strings attached, so we don't know yet whether or not we'll get to keep it, but we're hopeful it will all work out in the end."

Neville smiled and stuck out his hand again. "Well, I wish you both good luck with it. I've got to go, but it was really nice to see you again, Profes... ur... Remus. Tell Mr Snape I said hello."

I shook his hand and smiled. "I will, Neville. Good luck with your business."

"Thanks! Look here's my card." He dug into a pocket, retrieved a small rectangle of pasteboard and handed it to me. "If you ever need any help with your gardens, give me a call. You'll get great service, and I'll give you a good discount."

I nodded again, thinking that help with the gardens was definitely something we could use. Miss Sparling's occasional gardener was in his eighties, rather slow-moving and very nearsighted, but it would have to wait until we took undisputed possession of the estate, if we ever did.

"Once we're in a position to actually do some work on the estate, we'll definitely keep you in mind, Neville," I said sincerely.

The young man beamed at me once more and with a jaunty wave, headed off down the lane. I watched him go with a smile on my face. So Severus had helped Neville Longbottom get his start in business. I never would have guessed. It was intriguing to learn that he apparently had some pull with the Goblins, too.

Suddenly I was more anxious than ever to see Severus again, but I still had hours to kill before I could, so I turned back to the shop I'd been considering and went inside. I might as well keep myself occupied as well as I could, but it was going to be a long afternoon.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

Severus was a bit late getting home that evening, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him before we sat down to eat. Once we were dishing up our food, I asked him how his day had gone, all the while fingering the small stone key in my pocket and imagining the expression on his face when I pulled it out to show to him.

"My day was trying as usual. I'm attempting to revamp the distribution process we use to get the various potions we make out to the departments that have need of them. I prefer to anticipate demand rather than have people show up without warning on my doorstep begging for things they haven't bothered to alert me that they need. Once I get everything in place, I'm certain it'll run smoothly, but it's been a bit of a headache getting everyone's cooperation. You wouldn't think they'd have a problem telling me what they want, but there are always a few who prefer to whinge and wring their hands rather than plan ahead. Some people aren't happy unless they have something to complain about, I suppose."

I certainly couldn't disagree. Over the years, I'd run into more than a few people like that. It never made any sense to me, but it was indisputably true.

Severus took a bite of his dinner then paused to ask, "And how was your day? Did you get out of the house as I suggested?"

I smiled to myself at the idea that what he'd said had simply been a suggestion rather than the order it had sounded like at the time. "I did. I went in to Diagon Alley for a few hours, but before I went, I thought of one last place in the house that we hadn't searched."

Severus frowned. "Really? I thought we'd been quite thorough. Where did we neglect to look?"

"Inside the books in the library."

The look on his face told me he felt as foolish about forgetting to search such an obvious spot as I had, but he didn't waste time saying so. Instead he simply asked, "I assume you corrected our oversight."

I smiled. "I did."

He straightened up with a sigh and laid down his fork. "And? From the insufferably smug expression on your face, I assume you found something, are you going to tell me what it is or aren't you?"

I chuckled lightly, withdrew the key from my pocket and handed it across the table to Severus. As he took it and held it up to the light to examine it carefully, I added, "It was inside a copy of Andersen's _The Little Mermaid_."

He tightened his lips and shot me a shrewd glance. "So... it appears you were right then."

"About the treasure having to do with Miss Sparling's lost love? I certainly thought so when I found it. Why else choose that book to put it in? Of course, now we need to find the lock it fits. Any ideas about that?"

Severus sighed and his brow wrinkled adorably as he considered the question. "It isn't anywhere in the house because we've searched every inch of it and found nothing that this key would fit. It's not a Gringotts key, nor does it correspond to the sort of keys Muggles use in their bank vaults or houses. I wonder why it's made of stone?"

He turned the key over in his hand. "It's quite light and fragile. It would have to be a very easy lock to turn in order for this key not to snap in the process."

"I wondered about that myself. Perhaps it's a magical lock. The key does have a feeling of being suffused with magic."

Nodding his agreement, Severus continued to stare thoughtfully down at the key. "Maybe there's something in one of the outbuildings. There really isn't anywhere else left to look."

With a sudden frown, he set the key down on the table. "Or maybe it has nothing to do with the treasure at all."

I stared at him in surprise. "What? Of course it does. It's the key to it all, if you'll pardon the expression."

Severus snorted. "How can you be so certain of that? It's just a small stone key. It could open anything or nothing at all."

"Why would it have been hidden in that book if it wasn't important? A book about a magical being who loved and lost someone without magic... someone who then married someone else. Come on. What else could it mean? Besides, I think the portrait pointed me toward the books this morning. When I asked her if there really was a treasure, she moved her eyes to stare rather pointedly at the bookcase. That's really what made me think to search them."

Apparently conceding defeat, Severus nodded again and reclaimed his fork. "All right, I suppose we should accept this as the key that unlocks the treasure. However, we still have to find the proper lock."

"Agreed! I can start searching the outbuildings tomorrow. Unless you'd rather wait until the weekend so we can do it together." Although I was reluctant to delay searching, I felt we were finally making some progress and the last thing I wanted to do was find the treasure without Severus being there to share in it.

"Waiting until the weekend would be fine with me provided you can restrain your curiosity that long." Severus smirked knowingly at me.

"I'll find a way to manage. It won't be easy though." I grinned back across the table at him.

"Perhaps I can help keep you occupied. Why don't you come in to the Ministry and have lunch with me tomorrow? I'd like to show you the lab now that I have it set up and functioning properly."

I was touched. "I'd love to see your lab."

"Excellent! Come around eleven." The smile on his face was one of satisfaction and something more, though I couldn't quite decide just what. I suddenly had the strong feeling that Severus had a specific reason for inviting me to lunch, but whether it was simply wanting to show off all the hard work he'd done or something else, I couldn't say. I'd just have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

"All right." I nodded my agreement. "I'll be there. Oh, I almost forgot. While I was in Diagon Alley, I ran into Neville Longbottom. He said to say hello. He told me you helped him get a loan from the Goblins to start his business."

"Yes. I gave him a reference. So did Pomona and Minerva, if I recall. From what I understand his garden centre is doing quite well. I really never doubted it would. As long as the boy stuck to growing things instead of trying to brew potions, he was quite competent enough. Everyone has their strengths I suppose."

"I was pleased to hear that you and Neville had buried the hatchet, so to speak."

"And not in each other's backs?" He smiled grimly. "I'm perfectly capable of making peace with someone I formerly disliked, you know. Who would have ever thought you and I would end up living in the same house and sleeping in the same bed?"

"Not me," I said with a smile. "But I'm certainly glad we did."

Severus smirked and said nothing, but the warmth in his glance more than indicated his agreement.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: At The Ministry of Magic**

It had been a very long time since I'd been to the Ministry of Magic. The last time was shortly after the war was over. They'd had a small private ceremony in a large meeting hall where they handed out plaques for valour to those of us who'd risked our lives for the cause but who weren't really politically palatable enough for a public ceremony. I used mine as a coaster for a plant that didn't survive more than a few months. I'm not sure what happened to it after that. I have a feeling I threw it out with the desiccated remains of the plant. At any rate, it didn't make the move with me when Dora and I split up.

Truthfully I'd avoided the Ministry like the plague once it became apparent that, despite his own feelings on the matter, Kingsley wasn't going to make repealing the anti-werewolf employment laws a priority. I understood his reasoning, but I abhorred it all the same.

For too long the Ministry of Magic has been the authority for regulations that bound all sort of magical beings, but was only really there for the support and advantage of fully human witches and wizards. The rest of us had to obey the rules, but reaped few if any of the benefits. The war didn't really seem to have changed that much. Simply being inside the place made me uneasy, and since I'd had no reason to go there, I hadn't. But now I'd been invited in by Severus, and for him, I could stand feeling a bit out of place for awhile.

So I stood in the lobby of the Ministry wearing a little silver name tag that proclaimed me to be Remus Lupin, Luncheon Guest, as a seething wave of magical humanity flowed around me while I stared at the bank of creaking and groaning elevators and tried to decide which one I needed to use to get to Severus. I hoped I could figure it out quickly. I'd never been overly fond of crowds.

Just as I thought I knew which one to use and had taken the first step in that direction, I heard my name called out over the babble of the multitude. I turned to try to figure out who was calling me and saw two young men wearing the flowing capes of Aurors making their way across the lobby. The crowd parted to let them through with every sign of deference, though neither of them seemed particularly aware of it. I supposed that after all this time of constantly being treated like the heroes you were, anyone would begin to take such marks of respect in stride.

I smiled as they stopped in front of me. "Hello, Harry... Ron. You both look well."

"Thanks," said Harry with an answering smile. "So do you, Remus. I heard you inherited some real money. Are you enjoying living the good life?"

"It's been a nice change," I admitted. "I could certainly get used to it."

"Blimey, I sure could," exclaimed Ron eagerly. "Big fancy house, a staff of house-elves to see to my every wish, pots of money to spend on anything I want. Yeah, that's living the good life all right."

"Well, that's not quite how it is," I said, my smile widening at his enthusiastic but utterly incorrect take on my stroke of good fortune.

"No?" Ron looked sceptical, and I wondered where he'd got his information.

"Nope, sorry. I hate to disillusion you, but although the house is rather large, it's not in the best of shape. There aren't any house-elves, just one elderly housekeeper, and the pots of money are currently frozen until Severus and I solve a puzzle that was set for us by the lady we inherited from. Until we do that, we can't spend any of the money, not even on the house and staff."

Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged, and I couldn't really tell if they believed me or not.

"Well, I'm sure you'll solve the puzzle, Remus," said Harry encouragingly.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Harry. I certainly hope so."

"So how are you and Snape getting along?" asked Ron with the air of someone hoping for a juicy confidence. "I'd think having to share the place with him would be the hardest part."

"Not at all. We're getting along just fine," I said firmly, hiding a smile as I recalled just how well we were getting along. As promised, I'd made sure not to be pre-occupied the night before. Severus had seemed appropriately appreciative, but I certainly felt no compulsion to share that fact with Ron and Harry.

"Glad to hear it! Say, speaking of Snape, you must be really happy to hear about the Wolfsbane Distribution Project he's about to launch. I heard he made creating it a condition of his taking on the running of the Potions Lab." Ron gave an admiring laugh. "He sure had a lot of guts to give Kingsley an ultimatum like that. I mean he's the Minister for Magic, he could have just given the job to someone else."

Harry frowned at his friend. "But who'd do as good a job of running the lab as Severus has? Kingsley wanted the best, and he got it. He's been doing a great job with it, too. Besides, you know that Kingsley always intended to start up a distribution program. He just needed somebody good to run it."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, I suppose, and the lab really is much better now that Snape's in charge. I mean, we can actually depend on the quality of what we get from them now. We sure couldn't before."

"Yeah, what a joke it used to be. That really made things tough for us Aurors. We never knew if our Polyjuice would transform us correctly or if the Veritaserum we got would actually make someone tell the truth or not. It was a nightmare," agreed Harry.

"What makes you think that Severus made creating a Wolfsbane Distribution Program a condition of his taking over the job of running the Ministry Lab?" I asked. Rather stunned at the implications of such a thing if it was true.

"Percy told me," said Ron. "You know what a stickler for facts he is. He's Kingsley's personal clerk you know, so he'd be in a position to know." Ron's voice held a note of pride in it.

Harry turned to me with a smile. "So what brings you to the Ministry, Remus?"

"I'm having lunch with Severus. When he left this morning he said he had some news to tell me," I admitted.

The two Aurors looked at each other in obvious embarrassment.

"Oops! Sorry. Think we just spoiled his surprise?" asked Ron.

I had to laugh at the look of dismay on his face. "I'd say that was a distinct possibility, but I won't tell on you. I can act surprised when I have to."

"Thanks, mate." Ron grinned his relief.

"No problem. I do need to get going though, or I'll be late."

After we said our goodbyes, they pointed me to the correct elevator and, in a very short time, I found myself standing in front of a door marked _Ministry Potions Lab, Severus Snape, Director_ in gold letters three inches high. I smiled and touched Severus's name gently, imagining how proud he must be every time he walked through this door.

I knocked and opened the door to walk in as I'd been told to do. Before I could put even one foot inside, the smell permeating the place had me back out in the corridor, leaning against the wall, gagging. Even without hearing about the distribution program, I would have had no trouble telling that the lab was busily producing Wolfsbane Potion in large quantities. Considering that I'd been warned, however, I really should have been more cautious.

Suddenly, the offending odours were wafted away, and I found a strong, supporting arm wrapped around me, holding me up. Severus's voice, warm and contrite, murmured in my ear, "I'm sorry. I forgot how much this stage in the brewing process bothers you. Come with me."

He helped me to straighten up and move down the corridor past the now closed door to the lab and into a well-appointed office where I was gently deposited on a comfortable dragon-hide couch. I leaned back against the plush upholstery and closed my eyes. "I'll be all right in a moment," I murmured. "The smell was just a bit overpowering."

I took in a few deep breaths and opened my eyes to see Severus standing in front of me staring down in concern.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

I nodded and sat up straight. "Yes, I'm fine now. It was just a bit overwhelming to be hit with it like that."

Severus sat down next to me with an expression of annoyance I knew was aimed only at himself. "I should have realized what inhaling the fumes of so much Wolfbane in the early stages of stewing would do to you and had you come to my office first. I apologise."

"That's all right, no real harm done," I said honestly. Then I continued, not quite as honestly. "Why Wolfsbane?"

A faintly satisfied smile darted across Severus's face. "That's part of my surprise. I told you I had some news. We'll be starting up a Wolfsbane Distribution Program next month and, since you've been a long time advocate of such a plan, I wanted you to know about it before it was launched."

"That's great, Severus! I'm sure that once your program gets going, it'll be a boon to the werewolves and to the community in general, as well. People will feel safer knowing that werewolves will have easy access to the potion. Is there going to be a charge? How's the program going to be run? How will you get the word out there?" Suddenly I had a million questions. It felt so good to know that the Ministry was finally going to do something to help the werewolves.

"There are still some details to be worked out, but my part of the program is really just to produce and package the potion for distribution."

I nodded. Of course Severus wouldn't be running the entire show; he'd more than have his hands full just producing the stuff. I wondered who Kingsley had chosen to deal with the logistics of distribution. Whoever it was had a monumental task ahead of them.

"That makes sense. You said this was part of your surprise. What else is there?" I asked.

Severus rose to his feet. "If you're feeling up to it, I think I'll save the rest to discuss over lunch."

I got up and spread my hands. "I'm feeling fine. Once I'm away from the fumes, the nausea passes quickly."

"Excellent," he said as he shepherded me toward the door.

"Where are we going for lunch?" I asked, suddenly quite aware that I was more than ready to eat something. "There's a Thai place around the corner that I've been meaning to try. It's supposed to be pretty good. Feel like going Asian?"

We headed back to the elevator. "Actually we're eating here in the Ministry."

As the elevator doors closed behind us and we began to move shakily upward, I looked at Severus in surprise while he smiled at me with one of those smug, knowing little smiles that he does so well. He did say there was a surprise involved, so I supposed I was simply going to have to let him have his secrets for now, but I hoped I wouldn't have long to wait.

I smiled back and said, "I guess the Thai place will have to wait a bit longer."

When we got off the elevator, Severus directed me right into the Minister's suite of offices. A smiling witch behind a desk pointed to a half open door through which wonderfully enticing smells emanated. "He's already waiting for you."

Severus nodded to her and guided me through the open doorway. Inside I found a charmingly furnished private dining room and, to my surprise, in the middle of the room stood Kingsley Shacklebolt, Percy Weasley and Hermione Granger-Weasley. They ceased their conversation as soon as we entered the room and came towards us, their faces wreathed in smiles.

Kingsley reached for my hand, which of course, I gave him. "Remus, thank you for coming. It's good to see you again. You're looking well."

I shook his hand firmly and returned his smile. "Thank you. It's good to see you, too, Minister."

Kingsley shook his head. "Please, there's no need for such formalities here. I've always been Kingsley to you, Remus. I'd hate to think that had changed."

Greetings were exchanged all around and once we were seated at a small dining table, several house-elves began to serve up a delicious looking meal, and I began to wonder in earnest just why I was here. It must have something to do with the Wolfsbane Distribution Project. Perhaps Hermione was being tapped to run it. She was certainly organized enough to do a good job of it.

Maybe they wanted some information from me about the werewolf community itself and how best to approach it about the project. If so, I was more than willing to help. Other than abolishing the despised anti-werewolf employment laws, I couldn't think of anything the Ministry could do that would help the werewolf community more than a distribution program like this one.

As I was lifting a fork full of food to my mouth, Kingsley said, "Remus, I'm sure you're curious as to why you're here today."

Slowly setting my fork down, the food untouched, I nodded as Kingsley, Percy and Hermione all stared at me with smiles on their faces. "Well, yes. Severus told me that you're starting up a Wolfsbane Distribution Program which, as I'm sure you know, I think is a great idea. I assume that you want some information from me about the werewolf communities out there, and I assure you, I'm more than ready to help. I've always thought this was something that was needed, and I know if it's done properly it'll be a huge benefit to everyone."

The smiles widened and glances were exchanged that I didn't completely understand.

"I'm glad to hear that you're ready to help out," said Kingsley. "Because the truth is, I want you to run the program."

My mouth dropped open and I was very glad I hadn't filled it with food. "Me? You want me to run the program, not just advise?" My eyes darted toward Hermione. "I assumed that Hermione..."

Hermione beamed at me. "I'll be your assistant, Remus, if you approve, of course. I know the workings of the Ministry pretty well by now and can get things done from within, but you know the werewolves better than we do. You know what they want and need. You know how to approach them. If we want this program to succeed, we need someone with your perspective running things. Not to mention that they're likely to trust you before they'd even talk to any of us."

Kingsley nodded his agreement. "I never considered asking anyone else to take charge of this, Remus. You're the perfect choice to see that the program is run as effectively as possible because you'll care that it's done right more than anyone else I could possibly ask. So what do you say? Are you willing to help us out and take the job?"

I was really quite overwhelmed at the idea. I never thought for a moment that when Severus invited me to lunch, I was to be offered something like this. I glanced at Severus to see him watching me with the faintest hint of a smile on his face. If I took the job it would mean not only would we be living together and sleeping together, but we'd be working together, too.

For a moment, I wondered if that might not be just a bit too much togetherness, but I dismissed that notion quite quickly. I always enjoyed spending time with Severus and couldn't imagine ever feeling as if I was spending too much time in his company. However there was one other problem that suddenly occurred to me.

I turned back to Kingsley with a frown. "I'm flattered that you'd want me to run the program for you, and I really can't think of anything I'd rather do. I know this program will make a huge difference to the werewolves and to the community at large as well, but... legally I'm not allowed to take your job offer, am I?"

A slightly uncomfortable expression flitted across Kingsley's face and he nodded thoughtfully. "That's true, given the current employment laws, but those laws are on their way out. I've already submitted them for review to the Wizengamot, and I expect they'll be formally abolished sometime next year. I wanted to get the Wolfsbane Distribution Program up and running well first, though.

"I thought such a program would make the general population more receptive to the changes in the laws. In any case, exceptions can be made to most laws, and I'm willing and eager to grant one to you so you can run this program for us. By running a successful program, you'd be helping to make removal of those employment laws that much easier and quicker. So what do you say? Will you take the job?"

I smiled. "When you put it that way, how can I refuse? Yes, all right, I'll take the job. Thank you for the opportunity. I'll try to be worthy of the trust you've placed in me."

"I know you'll do an excellent job, Remus."

By the time lunch was over, I'd agreed to begin work on the project immediately. I was to have an office and a small staff. Everyone wanted to get going on things as quickly as possible, but I knew that it was going to take time to really get the program moving. The werewolves had no real reason to trust the Ministry or its initiatives and getting them on board was going to be a slower process than anyone at the table really wanted to believe. It was an important first step, however, and I ended the meal eager to begin my new job.

As the meeting was breaking up, Kingsley shook my hand again and shot a sly glance at Severus as he said, "You know Snape here made starting the Wolfsbane project a condition of his taking over the Ministry Potions Lab. Not that I didn't think the project had merit, but it probably did move things along a bit faster than it would have gone otherwise. I couldn't be more pleased that you've agreed to come on board and run things for us, Remus. Welcome to the Ministry of Magic."

"Thank you. I won't let you down," I said sincerely.

"I know you won't."

As Severus and I exited the suite and got back in the elevator, I turned to him and asked," Did you really make starting this project a condition of taking your job?" I'd heard this now from two different sources, so I didn't doubt it was true, but I wanted to hear it from Severus himself.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Of course I did. I'm no fool, Lupin. The Ministry Lab has been primarily a wartime need. We provided the Aurors with Polyjuice, Veritaserum, various undetectable poisons, etc. As the Ministry has moved firmly away from all that, I knew that without another large focus, the lab would begin to decline in influence and usefulness no matter how good a job I did of running it. What could be better than a large, important distribution project that would be a safety and public relations benefit to the community? It was tailor made for my needs and will keep us going for years."

He stood there and smirked at me in satisfaction and I smiled politely in return and didn't believe him for a moment. Oh, sure, the project was definitely a windfall for his lab, but there were plenty of other programs that he could have developed that would have suited his needs just as well. This was the only one that would also suit mine, and although I doubted he would ever admit it, I was sure that was why he'd chosen to make an issue of it, and that realisation made me very happy indeed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: The Circle in the Stones**

The next few months passed in a blur of activity, and I hardly had time to breathe much less worry about such trivial concerns as treasure hunting. The people at the Ministry somehow had this mistaken notion that starting up a Wolfsbane Potion distribution program and making it successful would be a quick and simple task. Brew the potion, advertise the program, set up the distribution sites and sit back and wait for the werewolves to flock in to avail themselves of your largesse, kissing your hand in gratitude. Nothing could be further from the truth, of course, but no matter what I said, their minds could not be changed. They had to see for themselves and see they did.

When you're dealing with a population as disaffected and downright distrustful as the werewolves, you have to take the necessary time to build some bridges, brick by brick, stone by stone, person by person. It was a slow process to make contact with the various well hidden groups and individuals out there, gain a modicum of their trust, explain the program to them, and find sites for the distribution that they felt were safe to go to. No one wanted to give their name, naturally, so registering any of them for the program was out. This made estimating how much potion to brew difficult to say the least. I knew Severus wasn't very happy about this, but he seemed to understand that it simply wasn't going to be possible to know at the outset how much would be needed. He was just going to have to take my best guess and go from there, which thankfully he was willing to do.

I knew we'd be estimating, adjusting our estimates, and expanding the program for months and months. Truthfully, I was quite sure that we wouldn't have a really good handle on things for a year at the very least. This wasn't what Kingsley and his staff wanted to hear, but, to their credit, they accepted, not without a bit of grumbling, of course, that this was how it would have to be. Eventually we did seem to be moving in the right direction, and I've been incredibly happy to be doing something that will help both the werewolves themselves and the larger wizarding community of which they are, like it or not, and many on both sides still did not, a part.

Of course, accepting this stressful new job and beginning this time-consuming new project was exhausting, even more than I thought it would be when I took it on. Thinking back now on all my late nights and long days, falling asleep almost before my head hit the pillow, I have to admit it put a rather large crimp in my love life, but to his credit, if Severus has ever regretted making this project a condition of his taking on the Ministry Lab, he's never said so.

But now, suddenly, here it was early August, and we had less than four months left to find Miss Sparling's treasure. We never did manage to get out and search the grounds and outbuildings, so when Severus and I unexpectedly found ourselves with a relatively free weekend, I suggested that we give it a go and he agreed.

We stepped out of the house and stared across the back lawn at the high hedge maze and the buildings beyond it. The sky was full of puffy white clouds that floated gently overhead. A light breeze blew in off the water and filled the air with the fragrance of the sea. I found it invigorating, and I was suddenly seized with enthusiasm about resuming our search once more.

I turned to Severus with a smile and asked, "Do you think we need to go through the maze again?"

We'd been through the thing both together and alone several times and had found nothing of value inside, but it was such a prominent feature of the grounds that it seemed to me, on a visceral level, as if it should have some importance.

Severus shook his head and eyed the maze with disfavour. "We've been through it a half dozen times. It's an ordinary garden maze, rather large and much too overgrown, but there's nothing really unusual about it other than possibly the height of the hedges. If we ever get the chance, we might want to consider having it cut down some. The only things in there are a couple of chipped stone benches and lots of weed-choked paths. I really don't think we need to bother with it again."

I looked at the tall hedges thoughtfully. "The four-point spell always has an odd hesitation near the centre of the thing."

Severus shrugged. "It always straightens itself out quickly enough though. I doubt it's important. We can go through it again if you insist, but I really believe it would be a waste of time. We finally have a couple of days free. We should spend them investigating things we haven't had a chance to look at yet."

I nodded. He was right. Why waste time going over ground we'd already trod? "All right. Where do you want to go first?"

He pointed to a structure off to the side where the driveway curved around the house. "Let's try the old stable. It's the closest of the outbuildings."

Without waiting for my agreement, he struck off across the gravel walkway and I followed along in his wake. When we reached the rather dilapidated building, Severus shoved open the battered door and we both peered inside. It was pretty clear immediately that there was unlikely to be anything of value in this dismal place.

For one thing, there were several holes in the roof through which daylight dappled the rotten wood of the floor. Several empty stalls that plainly hadn't sheltered any horses in many years, the remains of some sort of wagon or carriage, in its present state it was hard to tell which, and several coils of rotten rope seemed to be all there was to see in the dimly lit interior. We wandered through it, peering into corners, testing the strength of the floor, looking for any hidden cupboards, but after about an hour, we were both quite convinced that the stable held nothing of value, so we moved on.

On the other side of the house, beyond the kitchen garden, was an old summerhouse. This, too, had been somewhat neglected, though not as much as the stable. It was a lovely little place with beautiful proportions that were very pleasing to the eye. A couple of its windows were broken but its door appeared solid and its roof had all its shingles so that was a big improvement over the stable.

Once we stepped inside and looked around, neither of us held out a lot of hope that the little house harboured the treasure though, and we were swiftly proven correct. The only piece of furniture in the whole place was an old desk with a broken leg. Piles of dirt had accumulated in the corners of the room with the broken windows, and a faint rustling in the walls indicated the presence of furry little occupants, but nothing else was to be found.

We spent less time in the summerhouse than we had in the stable, and my enthusiasm was beginning to wane when we left the place and headed down the path to the last remaining outbuilding, a little stone chapel nestled under the sheltering arms of some sturdy oaks on the edge of the surrounding woods. I'd pinned my hopes on finding something in one of these buildings since we'd found so little inside the house, but if the chapel was in as poor shape as the stable or even the summerhouse, there was little chance that it would contain anything of value. And, if that was so, I was at a loss as to where to look next.

When we reached the chapel, it was immediately apparent that it had fared better than the other buildings. Its grey stone walls and slate roof looked very much intact and its carved oaken door set snugly in its frame. I found this encouraging and I said as much to Severus.

He shot me a slightly sceptical glance. "The chapel is made of more durable materials than either the stable or the summerhouse so I'm not surprised to see that it's weathered the passage of time reasonably well. That doesn't necessarily mean that there's anything of value inside, however."

I sighed at this cold dose of reality when I longed for encouragement. "I know, Severus, but we're running out of places to search. If there isn't anything hidden in the chapel, we really don't have anywhere else to look, unless you want to tunnel into the side of the cliff or dig up the rock strewn beach below it."

Severus snorted softly. "The ocean completely covers that pitiful excuse for a beach at high tide, besides which, unless she hid her treasure away years ago, which she might have, I'll grant you, but I doubt it, the treasure would have to lie somewhere an elderly woman could easily reach. I seriously doubt that includes the sheer face of a thirty foot cliff."

Although it seemed obvious once he said it, I must confess that I hadn't really thought about when Miss Sparling might have hidden her treasure. Severus was no doubt right. She probably wouldn't have had a reason to hide it until she decided to leave us this riddle. Did that mean it would have to be hidden in the house? Once she fell ill, could she have come all the way out here to hide something? Maybe. She was apparently a very strong-willed woman and quite vigorous until her final weeks.

I turned back and looked at the house. Dark and sombre, squatting on a slight rise, its windows seemed to twinkle in the reflected sunlight, almost as if the house were winking at me and enjoying its own private joke at my expense. As I stood looking at it, a sudden thought occurred to me, and I put out a hand and touched my companion's arm.

"Severus!" I exclaimed.

Severus had been fiddling with the key that Hester had given us, trying to get it to open the rusted lock, and he glanced up with a look of annoyance on his face. "What?" he asked impatiently.

I pointed to the roof of the house and the squat, ugly little room that sat on top of it looking like a dark and nasty sort of growth. "The cupola. We haven't looked in the cupola."

He straightened up and turned toward the house, squinting in the brightness. "No we haven't, but I'm not really sure we can. I certainly haven't noticed a way to get up there. Have you? It's probably just a meaningless architectural element; there simply to add some visual interest to the house." He frowned in consideration. "I can't really say it succeeds, myself."

"Maybe," I conceded. "Still, we should look once we get back to the house, just to be sure. Hester might know how to get into it."

Severus grunted what I took to be his agreement and turned back to wrestle some more with the lock. It took the addition of a bit of lubricant and several minutes of annoyed effort before the key finally turned and we were able to push open the door and look inside.

Sitting as it did just under the canopy of the tree line, I assumed the chapel would be dark, but it wasn't. Soft light poured in through long narrow windows that marched down either side of the small building to illuminate what was basically a large empty room.

There were no pews or chairs for anyone to sit on and no indication that there ever had been. A simple, unadorned altar made of grey stone sat at the far end of the room. The walls were white washed which added a lightness that was welcome and the ceiling was heavily beamed in dark impressive oak. Our footsteps echoed off the stone floor and a layer of dust, disturbed by our entrance, swirled up to hang in the shafts of sunlight.

"Cozy little place," I said as I walked around the pleasant, peaceful room.

Severus grunted. "But completely barren. I doubt there'll be anything to find here."

"Maybe under the floor?" I looked more carefully at the cool grey stones beneath my feet and noticed something odd. In front of the altar there was a circle deeply incised into the stones. I walked over and examined it more closely. The circle was good sized. It could easily accommodate three people inside its boundary. It was perfectly round and had been deliberately cut into the stone. Its edge was faintly discoloured in a manner that reminded me of stones that has been licked by flames.

"What do you suppose this is for?" I asked.

Severus, who'd been examining the walls, crossed the room to stand beside me. His eyebrows rose as he noticed the circle. "It's a bonding circle."

"What's that?" I asked curiously. Clearly this meant more to Severus than it did to me.

"It's old magic. Transfigurative in nature. Minerva knows all about it. I remember the subject coming up in a staffroom conversation once a long time ago, and as I recall she expounded on it for hours, or perhaps it just felt that way."

I smiled at his long suffering tone. "What's it used for?" I asked.

Severus looked at me as if I was being purposely thick. "Bonding."

Light dawned. "Oh, you mean it's some sort of magical marriage ceremony?"

"Sort of. It goes deeper than the average marriage ceremony. This is soul bonding... very rare magic indeed."

"How does it work?" I asked, intrigued by the possibilities.

"As I recall, there are special rings that are used. At rest, they look like ordinary wedding rings, but when you try to pick them up they come apart into long thin ribbons. These ribbons are used to tie the left hands of the betrothed couple together. Then they stand inside the bonding circle and the ritual is performed. As the magic is invoked, mystical energy pulses around the edge of the circle, rising higher and higher until the couple is completely enveloped in it. Once it finally subsides, the ribbons will have fused themselves into rings that cannot be removed short of death and the couple is bound together for eternity... if it worked, of course."

"If it worked? Why wouldn't it work? You mean as long as whoever was performing the ceremony did it correctly?"

"No, not exactly. There's no guarantee with this sort of ceremony. The pair wishing to bond must be true soul mates and the souls involved have to be worthy. If the magic finds either of them wanting, it simply won't work, and they'll be left standing in front of their friends and relatives with their hands tied together by a couple of silly ribbons."

"They can always just get married the more traditional way," I suggested.

"Would you? Once you knew that the person you intended to marry wasn't your true match after all? I'd think that would be just asking for trouble."

"But if you loved them and they loved you, what difference does it really make what some old magical ritual thinks? You could still make it work."

"Love conquers all?" Sarcasm had crept into Severus's voice and I flushed to hear it.

"Well, yes... why not?"

"No wonder you're a divorced man."

That brought me up short. He was right, of course. When I'd married Dora I'd thought it was the right thing to do, but it certainly hadn't turn out right in the end. If I'd known at the outset that she wasn't my "soul mate", would I have gone through with it? Probably, I admitted. Mostly because the idea of marrying a true soul mate wasn't something I'd ever considered before. Who knew there was a way to tell if your soul and that of your beloved was a perfect match? I certainly hadn't known.

I frowned at him. "That's not fair," I retorted, though without any real heat to it.

He shrugged. "If you say so. I still think marrying someone you know isn't right for you would be a questionable decision."

I wasn't sure I agreed with that, but I didn't see any reason to argue the point. We all make many decisions in this life that others might deem questionable, but many of them work out all right anyway. Very little in life is perfect. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can and grab whatever chances of happiness come your way, even if they come with risks attached.

I looked back down at the circle, noting the discoloured edge. "This circle has been used. Apparently at least one of your ancestors found his or her soul mate."

"Perhaps... There's really no way of telling. The circle would have to be used in order to discover that the one you planned to marry wasn't the right person for you."

"It's just as likely that the bonding was successful as it is that it wasn't," I said. "Why be negative? Perhaps the ceremony was a complete success, and they lived happily together for many years."

Severus shot me a faintly indulgent smile. "You really are a hopeless romantic, aren't you? Well, believe what you want. There's no knowing the truth anyway. This place hasn't been used for anything except collecting dust for years as far as I can tell. Clearly there's nothing here that corresponds to our little stone key."

"No, it doesn't look like there is." I reluctantly agreed, having been recalled from my flight of romantic whimsy to the true purpose of our being there.

"Then our treasure hunt seems to have come to an unsuccessful end, unless you can think of anywhere else to look."

I shrugged. "There's always the woods..."

Severus snorted and shook his head. "Oh, right. I certainly intend to dig up miles of woodland in search of buried treasure I can't even identify. No, I think we've found all there is to be found. I don't know about you, but I'm getting very hungry. I think we should go back and see if Hester has lunch ready."

I nodded my agreement, and without any further discussion, we left the chapel and struck out across the lawn toward the house.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

After an excellent lunch, we spent the afternoon hiking around the property, including the cliff path to the beach, just to be sure that we hadn't overlooked any place where something might be hidden, but we found nothing of interest. Not that the time was wasted. It was a beautiful day and exploring the grounds with Severus was an ideal way to spend it as far as I was concerned, even though we didn't find any treasure laden secret grottoes or caverns or cottages or even hollow trees.

It wasn't until later that evening, pleasantly tired from the day's exertions, that I suddenly remembered the cupola.

"We forgot to ask Hester if there's a way into the cupola," I said as I slipped between the sheets and turned to my companion.

Severus set aside his book and turned to me. "If you insist, we can do it tomorrow."

"You don't think it's important?" I asked as he slid down into the bed and I felt his foot begin to caress the side of my leg.

"No, not particularly."

"Why not? We've looked everywhere else."

He shifted a bit closer. "Same objection as the cliff. No elderly woman would go up there to hide anything of value. Besides, the cupola might be nothing more than a shell not even capable of protecting anything precious from the elements. We don't know what it's like up there."

"All the more reason to check it out and see." I was determined to leave no stone unturned, and I was quickly running out of possible stones.

"All right," Severus agreed. "We'll go and look at it tomorrow. Right now I want to concentrate on something else..."

I smiled and shifted so I was facing him. "Oh, and what would that be?" I asked, knowing full well what that something else would be.

Severus smiled and he casually reached out and tweaked my nipple. "The sound you make when I touch you here for one thing."

I gasped at his touch and a shiver ran through me as my back arched automatically. I'd always been shockingly sensitive to any touch on that part of my body and Severus had been very quick to pick up on that. He caught me around the waist and pulled me against him, lowering his head and kissing me slowly and thoroughly.

"For one thing?" I asked softly when he pulled back.

He smiled a slow, gorgeously sexy smile and began to kiss his way down my throat, murmuring, "And the way you taste... here... and here... and here..."

His voice trailed off as he moved lower and lower, tasting and kissing his way down my torso, and I threw my head back against the pillow and lost myself in the breathtaking sensations of his mouth and hands on me. When at last he entered my body, I cried out my pleasure at the wonderful feeling of his body merging with mine. My fingers were clasping him so tightly that I knew I was leaving bruises, but I couldn't help myself. I was his and he was mine, and we were together completely in these wonderful, fleeting yet endless moments of communion, and I wanted them to go on forever.

If I could, I would spend every moment of every day in intimate embrace with this man I'd come to love so much. He was everything I could ever imagine wanting in a partner. He was more giving in and out of bed than I would ever have believed a few months before- he was thoughtful, stubborn, intelligent, humorous, exciting, sexy, constantly challenging. Life by his side was always interesting and time in his arms was always sublime.

I'd known very quickly that I was head over heels in love with him. For me, it was crystal clear, that no one else would ever come close to meaning what he meant to me now. To my regret, I wasn't quite as certain of how he felt about me. At times he seemed to love me very much, yet at other times, it felt as if he was holding back, still unsure whether he could really allow himself to trust in me that completely.

I hoped I could eventually erase any lingering doubts that he might have about me and about us because, whether we remained here in this house or went anywhere else in the world, as long as we remained together I knew I'd be content for the rest of my days and nights.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: One Woman's Treasure**

"Could you hold that lantern up a bit higher, Severus?" I asked the next morning as the two of us stood, surrounded by piles of junk in the middle of the sweltering attic.

I was struggling to put a ladder up to the small trapdoor that was nestled quite snugly between two large beams in the attic ceiling, and I needed a bit more light to be sure I had the placement right. The door was far enough up that I couldn't really get a good look at it, and I know I never would have noticed it if I hadn't been told it was there.

We'd questioned Hester about the cupola at breakfast, and she professed not to know very much about it, although she was able to point us at the trapdoor in the attic ceiling that would let us get into it. Severus seemed a bit more enthusiastic about climbing up to see what we could find than he had been the day before, so after finishing our meal, we gave it a try.

As I finally got the ladder in place, I turned to him and said, "Well, here goes." Then without waiting for a response, I began to climb. When I reached the little square door, I saw that it only had a sliding latch holding it shut. However, as I grabbed the bolt and tried to move it, I realised quite quickly that it was not only stiff from disuse but was also pretty much rusted shut. I had to work at it for some time in order to force it open, taking my hopes down a notch. There was little doubt that it hadn't been opened in years. At last, the bolt slid back and I put my shoulder to the door and shoved upward.

The trapdoor opened with a screech of rusty hinges and fell back against the floor of the cupola with a thump, raising a cloud of dust. I sneezed twice and rubbed grit from my eyes before hauling myself up inside and climbing to my feet. I'd only been looking around for a moment before Severus's head popped up through the hole to join me.

His face fell into a familiar frown very quickly. "As I suspected, this is nothing but a waste of time," he said as he gazed around the round little room. Windows streaked with dirt and spotted with the watermarks of thousands of storms, let in plenty of light but there was really nothing worth looking at. Bare unfinished walls, a roof with the rafters exposed, and a rough hewn plank floor covered with the accumulated dust of years was all there was to see.

"I guess you were right," I reluctantly admitted. "There's certainly no place to hide anything up here."

"No," Severus agreed. "I guess that's the end of the treasure hunt." We looked at each other in gloomy accord, hating to admit it was over, but realistic enough to know we'd probably done all we could.

"We still have a few more months. Who knows? We might find somewhere else to search before the time is up," I said, putting as much encouragement into my voice as I could muster. "The treasure has to be somewhere." I wasn't quite ready to let go of the dream after trying to achieve it so hard for so long.

"Maybe, but it's obviously not here. I'm going back down," said Severus as he looked down to find his footing on the ladder.

"Don't go down yet," I said as I glanced out the windows. "Come up and see the view. It really is spectacular."

I moved away from the trapdoor to the nearest window and gazed out over the front of the house. It was another crystal clear day, and I could see for miles in every direction. My eyes traced the winding road out to the gate and off across rolling fields and hills toward a town in the distance nestled in a little valley. Severus joined me and we slowly turned to take in the view all around us.

Behind the house, we could see out across the lawn to the edge of the cliff and the huge expanse of ocean stretching off to a hazy horizon. The water's surface was calm today and a large tanker was slowly skimming along under a brilliant sky full of puffy white clouds. It was a lovely scene. I stepped closer to the window and just let my eyes follow the ship for a moment before bringing them back across the rolling green stretch of lawn to the huge hedge maze below us.

Suddenly I realized that from this height I could actually look down into the maze and could see its pattern laid out in its entirety, something I couldn't do from any of the windows in the house. As I was mentally tracing its pathways, I suddenly noticed something very odd and very exciting. I grabbed Severus by the arm and pointed down.

"Severus, do you see that?" I exclaimed eagerly, hardly daring to believe my eyes.

Severus, who'd been gazing out to sea, brought his attention back to me and tried to follow where I was pointing. "See what?" he asked.

"There, in the middle of the maze, there's some sort of statue. Look, it's cut off from the rest of the maze entirely. No wonder we missed it."

Severus's brow furrowed as he stared intently down into the maze. "You're right, it's enclosed in its own little section of hedge. That must be why the four-point spell always hesitated. It could tell there was a space there, but since there wasn't any opening, it always discounted it when mapping out a path."

"We need to check it out," I exclaimed eagerly. "Should we cut through the hedge?"

"A broom would be faster."

"Mine's in the potting room."

He turned to me with a smile. "Let's go."

We scrambled back down the ladder as fast as we decently could and ran down through the house, passed a startled Hester in the kitchen, and sped out into the potting room. I grabbed my broom from its corner, and we continued out the back door and into the yard. Without wasting a moment, we climbed onto the broom and I took off, gliding in quickly over the maze until I was hovering over this newly discovered central chamber.

As we'd seen from above, this small round space was completely cut off from the rest of the maze. It wasn't a large area, but fortunately it was easily big enough for us to land inside it, so I did. The only thing inside the circle of hedge was a white marble statue of a young woman, almost life-sized. She stood on a low, wide pedestal, her eyes downcast and her expression sombre. The truly exciting thing about the statue however, was that in her outstretched hands she held a box made of black onyx and in the front of the box was a keyhole that was exactly the size we'd been looking for.

I turned to Severus, but he already had the key in his hand and was moving forward to place it in the lock. As soon as the key slid inside, the keyhole lit up with a blue light, and I heard the grinding of stone against stone as the statue slid back on its pedestal revealing a set of stone steps that led down into the ground below our feet.

Severus and I glanced at each other and I could see my own feeling of increasing excitement reflected in his eyes. Without a word, he lit his wand and began to descend the stairs, and I did the same, keeping close behind him. At the bottom of the staircase, a tunnel led off into the darkness, and, holding our wands high, we began to follow it. It was dark but dry, and lined walls, ceiling and floor, with square cut grey stones, featureless and straight.

We walked about 75 to 100 feet and came to a closed wooden door. The door had an ordinary knob and no lock, so Severus clasped the knob and turned it. He received no resistance and the door swung silently inward to reveal a square stone chamber. In the centre of the chamber was a slender pedestal on which sat a small box. A bluish glow surrounded the pedestal and provided the only light within the chamber other than our wands.

We stepped into the room and approached the pedestal, stopping just beyond the edge of the glowing light. I put up a hand scant millimetres from the edge of the glow and could feel the buzz of magic against my palm.

"It's a shield of some sort." I looked at Severus. "Should I try to touch it?"

He shook his head and pulled me back. "Let's see if we can find out a bit more about it first. Keep your wand lit while I try some scans."

I nodded and while I stood by his side and watched, Severus began to try to magically divine exactly what sort of shielding we faced. He made a series of intricate passes over the shield, moving around its edge and muttering as he worked. Magic flared and the colour of the shield flashed from blue to green to red and back to blue again as he worked. Finally with a shake of his head, he lowered his wand and turned to me.

"I'm not quite sure what it is. It's not standard warding. In fact, it's not reacting quite like any magical barrier I've ever seen before. The energy it's radiating doesn't seem to be dangerous, though. I'm going to try to touch it."

Before I could utter a protest, he reached out his hand and laid it against the shimmer of blue magic. From where I stood watching, it appeared to be solid to the touch.

"Well?" I asked.

"It's like a glowing wall. It's not really reacting to my touch, but it certainly doesn't want to yield, either." He pushed against it more firmly. Nothing happened, so he put his shoulder against it and shoved as hard as he could. It appeared to make no difference. The shield continued to glow and remained solidly in place. He stepped back, shaking his head. "No good."

"We could try blasting it," I suggested.

Severus looked at me. "I wouldn't advise it. If the blast didn't penetrate the shield it would ricochet around this room and possibly hit us. Besides, we don't want to accidentally damage what's inside the box now that we've finally found it."

"Then what would you suggest?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't really understand why she bothered with a shield. No one is likely to just stumble on this place."

"Miss Sparling knew that Skyrm would be hunting for the treasure, too, once he knew it existed. Maybe she did this to keep him out."

"Then there should be a way to let _us_ in even if it keeps everyone else out."

I turned and looked at the glowing shield. Then I stepped forward and touched it myself. It tingled slightly when I came in contact with it, but it didn't move for me any more than it had for Severus.

"This is damned annoying," exclaimed Severus with a frown. "To have finally found the thing... to be this close and yet be stymied is aggravating! Supposedly _dear_ Aunt Audra wanted us to find this treasure of hers, but if that's so, why has she made it so damnably difficult for us to claim it? Does she want us to have the thing or doesn't she?"

Suddenly a thought occurred to me as something Miss Sparling had said in her recording echoed through my mind.

"I think she does want us to have it, Severus, but she wanted to be absolutely certain that we were the ones to find this, and she also wanted to be sure that we did it together."

He looked questioningly at me. "What do you mean?"

"Remember the recording she left us?" I asked. "The one we listened to in Skyrm's office."

"Yes, what of it?"

"Well, I took it off Skyrm's desk after that meeting was over. I wanted to listen to it again, although I wasn't sure I'd be able to without your input. However, when I tried it, I didn't have any difficulty getting it to play for me alone. I suppose once it had been properly triggered to play its message, it didn't need both of us to get it working again. Anyway, I've listened to it quite a few times since then."

"Why?" he asked, clearly puzzled by my actions.

I shrugged. "I thought there might be some clues in what she said."

"And?"

"And I think I was right. The last thing she said to us in that recording was... _remember, you're_ _stronger together than you are apart_. What if she meant it literally?"

The frown on Severus's face cleared and he nodded thoughtfully. "Logical. All right. Let's see what happens if we try to penetrate this shield together."

We both stepped up to the glowing shield and as one reached out a hand and touched it. Instantly it winked out of existence.

"Excellent," murmured Severus, and as I held my lit wand over the box, he reached out and opened it and we both looked inside.

What we saw, nestled in a bed of green satin, were two gold rings with silver edges and a tightly wound scroll with a smaller piece of paper wrapped around it. Now I have to say that although I'd spent months speculating as to what the treasure would turn out to be when we found it, never once did I imagine that it would end up being nothing more than a couple of small rings and a parchment scroll. It seemed so anticlimactic that I really didn't know what to think. I was stunned into silence.

Severus's reaction was a bit different...

"Good god, how could she!" he exclaimed.

I turned to look at him in surprise and was shocked to see that his face was white and rigid.

"What's the matter, Severus?" I turned back to the treasure nestled innocently in its box. "I'll admit the treasure's nothing like I expected, but I don't see..."

"No, you don't," he exclaimed, his voice full of sudden annoyance that I didn't understand. "You don't see at all. You don't know what these rings are, do you?"

I shook my head. Other than a matched pair of rings, which seemed a bit obvious given his reaction, I didn't have a clue. They were plain gold... "Wedding rings, maybe?" I hazarded the only guess I could think of.

He snorted shortly. "Try to pick one of them up."

Puzzled, I did as he asked, but when I grasped it, the ring came apart in my hand. Instead of a ring, I suddenly held a handful of narrow gold and silver ribbon. Remembering our conversation from yesterday, I understood. "These are for that bonding ceremony you spoke of, aren't they?"

"Yes, that's exactly what they are."

"Do you think she meant for us to use them? Is that what she meant by taking her treasure to heart?" I was astonished. My first thought was all rosy with pleasure at the idea of actually bonding with Severus, but the happy picture my mind conjured up shattered abruptly as I turned to him and noted the stiff set of his jaw and the cold, dead expression in his eyes.

While the idea of marrying Severus filled me with happiness, I suddenly knew without question that the thought of marrying me was not attractive to him at all.

"I have no doubt that was what she intended when she set us on this little treasure hunt of hers, but if she thinks I'm going to allow her to set us up for that sort of humiliation, she can think again."

We stood there in silence for a moment, then, finally, I broke it hesitantly. "You don't think the bonding would work then?"

"For us?" He gave a quick, brittle laugh, sharp enough to draw blood, and I felt my heart contract in pain. "No, I most certainly do not. Damn the woman. She's ruined everything!"

Abruptly he turned away and stalked out of the room. I stood there unmoving until the sound of his footsteps had faded to nothing. Slowly I set my handful of ribbons back in the box and watched as they reformed themselves into a perfect replica of a wedding ring. How fitting that what appeared to be a ring, solid and real, turned out to be nothing but a beautiful illusion, just like my idyllic life here with Severus apparently was.

Because I didn't know what else to do, I picked up the scroll and slipped off the paper curled around it. The scroll itself appeared to be magically sealed, but there was writing on the paper, and I held my wand close enough to read what it said... it was addressed to Severus and me.

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_My Dear Severus and Remus,_

_Congratulations! You've found my treasure. I knew you could do it. Through all the years I've watched the two of you, it's always been apparent to me that you're both extremely resourceful and clever, and when you work as a team, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. I hope that by now, you've come to realise that, too._

_Once you've put the rings found in this box to their proper use, the enclosed scroll will be able to be opened. It's a testimony to your completing this condition of the will and constitutes the legal proof you will need in order to inherit._

_Well done and may you live a long and happy life together,_

_Audra Cordelia Sparling_

_**xoxoxoxoxox**  
><em>

That settled the question of how we could prove we'd met Miss Sparling's conditions, not that it mattered now. Clearly we wouldn't be putting the rings in the box to their _proper use_. I would marry Severus in a second. I've known that I loved him for a long time now, and spending the rest of my life with him as my partner would make me happier than anything else I could possibly imagine, but Severus was much more cautious by nature and even slower to trust than I was.

I wasn't really surprised to learn that even after all these months of living and loving together he wasn't ready for such a permanent step, but to be so vigorously opposed to it? To dismiss the very suggestion out of hand without a care for my opinion? That surprised me and not in a good way.

I'd really thought that over the last few months he'd come to love me too, at least a little, but apparently I was wrong. Maybe our relationship was just about the sex for him, though I couldn't quite make myself believe that, nor did I want to.

Perhaps the real reason he was so annoyed was that he knew soul bonding like this would never work with a dark creature like me, one whose soul had been permanently damaged by a lifetime lived beneath one of the darkest curses known to wizard kind. As he'd indicated the other day, he wouldn't want to go through a bonding ceremony only to be humiliated when it didn't take because the man he intended to marry wasn't worthy.

I rubbed at the side of my head which was beginning to ache. It didn't matter why Severus felt the way he did, the only thing that really mattered was that he had no intention of using the rings in this box, at least not with me. The hunt for the treasure was finally over, but I'd never expected it to end like this. Slowly I replaced the note and scroll in the box, then, because I didn't want to leave the rings there, now that they were unprotected, I closed the box, put it under my arm, and headed slowly back down the tunnel and up into the maze.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Hovering In Between **

Once I'd climbed up out of the earth, I discovered that Severus had left my broom leaning against the hedge instead of flying out on it as I'd assumed he would. Not that I needed it any longer. He'd chosen to leave by blasting a hole straight through the hedges all the way to the edge of the maze. No longer did you have to wind your way through the twisted pathways in order to get out, now you had a nice direct route from the previously inaccessible centre chamber to the lawn outside. To me this was just one more indication of how upset Severus was. He'd never have wrecked such casual destruction otherwise.

I grabbed the broom in my free hand and walked out through the newly created passage. I trudged on through the kitchen garden and up into the potting room, where I left my broom before proceeding on into the house.

As I walked through the kitchen and out into the corridor that led to the front of the house, I slowly became aware of Severus's voice in the distance. It sounded as if he was yelling at someone. When I got to the entry hall, I found Hester huddled at the foot of the stairs staring anxiously upward and wringing her hands. Her face was very pale and when she turned to look at me her eyes were both puzzled and fearful.

"What's wrong with Mr Severus?" she asked me in a strained tone. "He came flying through here a few minutes ago in an awful rage. He stormed up the stairs and has been in the library yelling at Miss Audra's portrait ever since. I'm afraid to go up there. Do you know why he's so angry?"

I sighed. How could I explain what I didn't really understand myself? "I'm not exactly sure, Hester, but you don't need to worry. Severus isn't upset with you. I think it's Miss Sparling he's upset with."

"Why? What happened?" wondered Hester.

I held up the box. "We found the treasure."

For a moment, a delighted expression crossed her face, and then, in response to a loud thump from upstairs, she jumped and, darting a fearful glance upward, began to look confused and worried again.

"But that's wonderful," she said, uncertainly. "Isn't it? Why would that upset Mr Severus? I'd have thought it would make him happy. I'd have thought it would make both of you happy; you've been searching for it for so long, but judging from your expression and the way he's carrying on up there, it certainly hasn't. Why not?"

I looked up the stairs and shook my head helplessly. "I'm not sure, but I guess the treasure just didn't turn out to be something he wanted."

I turned back to her and tried to smile reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll calm down pretty soon then everything will be okay again, you'll see."

I left her at the foot of the stairs looking doubtful and climbed on up to the first floor. Although I really wanted to believe what I'd told Hester, I didn't. The last thing I wanted was to upset her any more than she already was, but the longer Severus ranted, the more I was coming to believe that nothing would really be okay again. As I neared the library, what had been merely the unintelligible sound of his voice began to separate itself into words I could actually understand, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I stopped outside the door and listened, my heart in my throat.

Severus stood in front of the fireplace, his fists jammed into his hips, his head thrown back, staring up at the portrait over the mantel. Every taut line of his body spoke of anger and pain.

"... not with him. It would never work! You should know that if you kept as close an eye on us over the years as you've claimed. Do you really think someone with such a dark and damaged soul could successfully bond that way? Presenting us with those damned rings is nothing but arrogant presumption on your part. What did you think you were going to accomplish? Was this all some sort of cruel joke? Well, I'm not laughing! Your little treasure hunt is over. We all lose."

Severus turned around and saw me standing in the doorway, holding the box, and for a moment we just stood there and stared at each other. He opened his mouth as if he was going to speak to me, his expression a mass of conflicting emotions, but then, suddenly, he closed it with a snap, lowered his head and barrelled right past me without a word.

As I watched, he continued on down the hall and down the stairs at a rapid clip. I heard the sharp sound of his footsteps echoing on the marble tiles of the entry hall floor, followed by the slam of the front door as he left the house.

In the silence that followed, I stepped into the library, crossed to a table by the sofa and set down the box containing the treasure. I felt totally numb and drained. How had everything gone so wrong? I didn't understand any of it, except that I had been firmly and completely rejected by the one person I loved most. That one point I understood far too well.

I looked up at the portrait. I don't think painted images can cry, but Miss Sparling certainly looked as if she wanted to. Her eyes glistened more than usual and there seemed to be an air of sadness about her that I didn't usually sense.

I shook my head. "I'll bet this wasn't the reaction you expected when we found your treasure. I wish I knew what you did expect, but then I wish I knew a lot of things. Most of all I really wish I could talk to you and get answers in return. I could use a few answers right about now."

But as always, the portrait had none to give.

I spent the rest of the day wandering along the cliff and staring out to sea. Usually that was an occupation that calmed me, but this time it didn't help in the least. I just didn't know what to do next. Should I stay at Greycliffs or should I go? Severus evidently didn't want the same thing I did from our relationship, but did that mean he wanted me to leave?

I could afford to leave now, of course. I had a job and an income beyond the allowance given to me through the estate. It might be easier all around if I just packed up and moved on. Since we weren't going to use the rings, we'd already forfeited our claim to the estate so there was no longer any reason to worry about the requirement that we both remain in the house for a year's time. Of course there was that contract I signed promising not to leave before the year was up, but I couldn't imagine why Severus would hold me to that under the circumstances.

Still I hesitated. I didn't want to leave with things as they were. I wanted to talk things out, though I'll admit I wasn't looking forward to hearing him explain to my face why he wasn't interested in bonding with me. It was obvious that he thought my soul wasn't a good match for his. _Dark and damaged_ were the words he'd used to describe me to Miss Sparling's portrait, and I certainly couldn't deny that they were accurate terms to use. I was a werewolf, dark and damaged went with the curse, and there was nothing in the universe that could change that.

But avoiding that conversation because it would be uncomfortable wouldn't solve anything. I had to talk to him. And to talk to him, I had to stay, at least for now. Of course that assumed that Severus was coming back. Which of course, he would... eventually... once he calmed down. Surely he would...

But he didn't come back that afternoon.

Eventually I returned to the house and ate an uncomfortable dinner alone with a silent Hester hovering gloomily by the sideboard and jumping at the slightest noise. After dinner, I sat up in the library with a book on my knees and a fire to stare blankly into until very late. Finally, when I heard the grandfather clock chime two in the morning, for the first time I let myself truly consider the possibility that he might not come home at all.

Sadly I gave up my vigil and went to bed. Sometime in the deep of the night, as I was tossing and turning, in and out of sleep, I thought I heard a nearby door close softly, but I didn't get up to check, deciding to wait until morning to find out one way or the other whether Severus had ever come home. I'd had enough disappointment for one day.

** xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

When I entered the dining room the next morning, I found Severus seated at the table, halfway through his breakfast. His room had been empty, his bed neatly made, when I'd looked in on my way downstairs so I'd begun to think I'd imagined hearing his door open and close sometime very early in the morning.

Yet there he was looking very much as he always did as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened yesterday at all. I stopped in the doorway and just stared at him, not having the faintest idea what to say. He must have heard me come in though, because he looked up and nodded to me quite cordially.

"Good morning, Remus. I trust you slept well," he said just as if it was any other morning, and we hadn't found the hidden treasure, and he hadn't yelled at Miss Sparling's portrait and stormed out of the house in a rage. To say I was confused was an understatement.

"'Good morning, Remus. I trust you slept well!' That's all you have to say?" I exclaimed in amazement.

He drained his coffee cup, set it neatly in its saucer and looked up at me, his expression bland. "What do you think I should say?" he asked calmly.

I opened my mouth and shut it again without speaking, totally knocked off balance by his attitude. I crossed the room to my chair and sank into it, ignoring the smell of good food coming from the sideboard. Rather than spark my appetite as it usually would, all it did was make my already churning stomach feel even queasier.

"We found the treasure yesterday," I began because I had to start some place and that did seem to be the start of this particular situation.

He nodded but said nothing so I continued. "It upset you. You ran away from me. You yelled at Miss Sparling's portrait and then you stormed out of the house. Don't you think we should talk about that?" I asked.

His eyes narrowed slightly and he blotted his lips with his napkin before answering. "You seem to have summed things up quite adequately; I don't think there's really anything else to say."

"Oh, I think there's quite a lot to say. Apparently Miss Sparling intended for us to use those bonding rings and obviously you don't want to do so, in fact you're vigorously opposed to doing so. Now that's your right, of course, but don't you think I deserve some sort of explanation for your reaction? It seems a bit extreme."

Severus raised an eyebrow and suddenly there was that old familiar sarcastic edge to his voice that I hadn't had directed at me in quite awhile. "You think I'm under some obligation to marry you?"

"What? No, of course not! I'd never make such an assumption. If you don't want to use the rings, I'm not going to try to change your mind. That's your right. However, this does concern both of us. Since it appears that we can't inherit the estate if we don't marry, I just thought we should discuss it."

"Well, I don't!" he snapped angrily. "You seem to be forgetting that there is no 'we' in regard to this inheritance any longer. You signed away your rights to me! I am the only one who now stands to inherit this estate, and if I choose not to comply with my _dear great aunt's_ wishes and thus abandon my claim on it, it's really not any of your affair now, is it?"

I could feel the blood drain from my face as he sneered at me, and I just stared at him in silence while I tried to form a coherent sentence in response. Finally I settled on the obvious. He had a point, and I really couldn't deny it. "No... I guess it isn't."

I got shakily to my feet and began to leave the room.

"Where are you going? You haven't had anything to eat," he exclaimed.

"I'm not hungry. I think I'll just go and pack my things and be on my way."

He jumped to his feet and grabbed a hold of my arm. "You aren't leaving," he said and I could almost swear that I heard a note of desperation in his voice.

"I don't see any reason to stay," I said honestly.

"I'll give you 10,000 reasons... all of them gold," he said. "If you leave, that's what you'll owe me. Can you afford it?"

"You'd hold me to that now? Why?" Frankly, I was really quite shocked, but then very little of what had happened since we'd found the treasure made sense to me so why should his desire for me to stay be any different?

"Because I can. Because... I don't want you to leave," he declared to my surprise.

I shook my head. "I don't understand. Why don't you want me to leave? If you no longer care about fulfilling the conditions of the will, why does it matter whether I leave or stay?"

He shrugged and released my arm. "Just because we found the treasure and decided not to make use of it is no reason for you to leave. Our life here together has been very comfortable and pleasant; you've seemed to enjoy it as much as I have. Haven't you?" He spoke casually, but I had difficulty believing he was as calm as he appeared.

I nodded. "You know I have."

"Well there you are then, nothing needs to change. Everything can go on exactly as it has for the last few months. We still have until the end of November to live here, why not take advantage of that? As you've said before, why give up a comfortable bed, excellent food and money in your pocket before you have to?"

I just stared at him. What I wanted to say was that our situation had changed drastically since I'd said that to him. A comfortable bed, good food and money in my pocket weren't enough for me anymore. Now I wanted him, and more than that, I wanted him to want me... but he didn't. He saw me as too dark and too damaged for anything lasting, why wouldn't he just admit that?

"But Severus, why..." I began but he cut me off.

"No more questions, Lupin. I'm happy with our situation as it is. I don't want to change it. Stay... or go, as you wish. I can't stop you. I want you to stay, but if you do there'll be no more discussion of the treasure or the inheritance. Is that clear? And if you do decide to leave, I will require you to pay me 10,000 galleons in cash, immediately."

He stepped away from me and headed for the door. "I have an early meeting, and I can't be late. I imagine I'll see you at the Ministry, but if not, I trust I'll see you at dinner." Then with a final nod in my direction, he was out the door and gone. Once I heard the front door close behind him, I went back and sat down at the table again, though I made no attempt to eat.

I didn't think it was possible to be more confused than I was yesterday, which just goes to show how wrong you can be sometimes, because I certainly was. Why would Severus want me to stay, feeling the way he obviously does about me? I was a dark and damaged creature, too inferior to marry but apparently perfectly fine to live with? How did that make sense?

It must be the sex. What else could it be? It wasn't likely to be the fact that I was easy to beat at chess or was a reasonably challenging duelling partner. I shook my head grimly. Well, I'd find out the truth of that quickly enough because there would be no more sex between us. I'd stay for now. I really couldn't afford not to if he was going to hold me to that damned contract. My new job paid well, but not that well, and I had no savings to dip into any longer. But I wasn't so far gone that I'd continue to sleep with someone who obviously cared so little for me.

If he really wanted things to go back to the way it had been between us these last few months, then he was going to have to explain his actions and his feelings. If he wouldn't, then life was going to change around here whether he wanted it to or not.

I didn't see Severus at the Ministry that day. In point of fact, I went out of my way not to see him. I was still horribly confused by his attitude and, yes, honestly, I was also hurt. This whole unfathomable situation had hurt me very badly, and I needed time to think it through and decide what to do next.

I hoped that given time Severus would change his mind and would become more willing to discuss our situation, his feelings, and why he was so willing to give up any chance of inheriting the estate instead of exploring the possibility of us using those rings.

However, as time went on, I was forced to acknowledge that didn't seem to be the case. A few days went by, then a week, then two, while he continued to act as if nothing had happened at all. He made no attempt to join me in bed, which surprised me because I'd been sure that sex lay at the root of his desire for me to stay, though quite possibly he sensed that he'd have been rebuffed if he tried, but in every other way, he acted exactly as he always had. It was most puzzling and frustrating.

Then, one morning, about three weeks after we found the treasure, with the nip of autumn in the air, an owl came tapping at the dining room window one morning while we were eating breakfast.

Severus got up, retrieved the message it carried and stood by the window reading it with a deepening frown on his face.

"What is it?" I asked when it didn't seem as if he was going to tell me what it was about unless I nudged him.

When he looked up at me, the frown remained in place. "It's from Minerva. She wants me to meet her at Hogwarts immediately. She says it's urgent, but she doesn't say what it's about."

My own frown mirrored his. "That's odd. I wonder what's wrong."

Severus slowly shook his head. "I don't know. She wants me to meet her at the gates to the school."

"What? Why on earth would she want to meet you there? She's the Headmistress. She's got a perfectly good, very private office. Why put you both out by going all the way down to the gates?"

"Maybe she doesn't want anyone to see me arrive."

"No one would if you flooed in."

"I don't know, but I'm sure she has a good reason. You know Minerva; she never does anything without a very sound, logical reason. I imagine she'll fill me in on hers when I get there, which I'd better do if I'm to get back to the Ministry in time for my morning lab meeting."

He stuck the message in his pocket and headed for the door. As he passed my chair, I stood up and he stopped close enough for me to breathe in his fresh, clean scent. My eyes sought his and my heart started beating faster. I hadn't been this close to him in far too long and it was intoxicating.

"All right," I said softly. "Tell Minerva I said hello, and I guess I'll see you this afternoon. We have a project update at three, remember?"

His expression softened. "I haven't forgotten..."

For a moment I was certain he was going to lean in and kiss me, but at the last second, he pulled back, nodded awkwardly and swept out the door, and I sighed and sat back down. This no sex stuff was getting harder all the time.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Vanished**

"...we'd need to hire more people if we go with two distribution centres instead of one, and it wouldn't be as efficient. Remus? Earth to Remus... Hello, are you listening to me?"

I jumped as I suddenly became aware of Hermione's voice directed my way and sounding more than a little annoyed. I turned away from the wall that I'd been staring at without seeing it and tried to focus on my assistant as she looked at me with concern.

"I'm afraid I missed that last bit..." I admitted sheepishly.

Hermione sat down in the chair next to my desk and stared at me. "Just the last bit?" She looked as if she'd like to laugh, but to her credit, she didn't. "I've been discussing the set up for the Welsh distribution centres for a good ten minutes, but I don't think you've heard anything I've said at all."

"I'm sorry. You're probably right." I rubbed my eyes wearily. "Maybe we should table this discussion for now."

"We really need to get it settled." She persisted.

Hermione was an excellent assistant. She was extremely efficient and always up on the details of every aspect of the project, but she could be a bit single-minded and right now, I was finding that to be a bit trying. Not that I really had a right to, I suppose. I _was_ at work. I really should have been working, but damn it was hard to concentrate. All I could think about was Severus, and those rings, and our stupid frustrating situation, and this vague, unsettled feeling that I'd had in the pit of my stomach even since he'd left the house that morning.

As I hesitated, she asked, "What's wrong, Remus? You haven't been yourself for weeks now."

"Nothing," I said automatically, hoping to cut that conversation off before it even got started, not that I really had much of a chance of that.

Her response was to cross her arms and raise an eyebrow. Her sudden resemblance to Severus was uncanny.

"It's personal," I admitted. It was obvious that I couldn't fool her into thinking that everything was okay, but I'd be damned if I was going to discuss the situation with her either. I wouldn't even know where to begin.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked sympathetically.

I shook my head and forced a smile to soften my refusal. "No, I appreciate your concern, but it's really not important."

"Okay, if you say so." I could tell from the tone of her voice that she wasn't buying it, but it appeared she wasn't going to press the issue either, thankfully. "We really do need to make a decision on the number of Welsh distribution centres before the three o'clock meeting, however."

"Okay." Fine, back to business. That's where I really needed my thoughts to be focused anyway. At least there they might do some good.

She nodded and referred to the papers in her hands. "Our people in the field are suggesting five centres to cover the whole country. I don't see why we can't manage with four. The area involved isn't that vast and as far as we've been able to determine, the werewolf population isn't excessively large."

"Which centre are they recommending that you don't agree with?" I asked, trying to get to the root of the problem as quickly as possible.

"They want to put two separate centres near Cardiff, but I think that's a waste of money and resources. One should be more than adequate. Having two centres where one would do is inefficient and would require the hiring of more people than we've budgeted for."

"I disagree. Didn't you read the report Samuelson sent in about the rival packs in the Cardiff area? Their territories bump up against each other, and there are a lot of tensions between them. We need a centre in each of their territories if we're going to reach them all. We'll avoid a lot of trouble that way."

"I still say it's inefficient..."

"It's more inefficient not to reach everyone who needs to be reached," I snapped, not feeling remotely in the mood to argue the point. "If two centres are required, then two centres are what we'll set up. It might be possible to consolidate them later, once we're a known and hopefully trusted commodity, but for now, we'll go with two even if it does require us to hire a couple more people. The budget will stretch to cover it. Now, if there isn't anything else, I have some correspondence to take care of before the meeting."

Hermione got to her feet, her face was stiff and a trifle red, and I could see I'd annoyed her, but I had to admit at the moment I didn't really care. She nodded to me and crossed the room to the door, but instead of walking through it, she paused and looked back at me.

"If you want my opinion, you need to find someone with whom to discuss this unimportant personal issue that isn't bothering you, and you really should do it soon."

Then she proceeded out the door and closed it behind her very deliberately and quietly.

After that I really did try to work, but I didn't accomplish as much as I needed to. When the time for my three o'clock meeting rolled around, I got up from my desk with a sigh of relief. At least now, I'd get to see Severus. For some reason I couldn't adequately explain, I'd been feeling somewhat anxious about him ever since he left for his meeting with Minerva that morning.

There was no logic to my feelings, and I knew that, but nevertheless I couldn't seem to banish them. I knew that I'd feel a whole lot better once I got to the conference room and saw him sitting across the table from me ready to give his report. Then I could finally convince myself that he was fine and I'd been concerned for no reason. I'd probably feel like a bit of a fool for worrying needlessly, but I'd be a relieved fool. I could live with that.

When I walked into the conference room in the Minister's suite at the stroke of three that afternoon, my eyes immediately went to the chair Severus usually occupied only to find it empty. His assistant on this project, a fiftyish, moon-faced man named Edward Macgregor, sat next to the empty chair looking decidedly nervous while Percy, Kingsley's clerk, walked around the table setting out copies of the agenda at each place.

I took my seat and before anyone else could speak, I looked from Macgregor to Kingsley and asked, "Where's Severus?" The faintly uneasy feeling that had lurked in the pit of my stomach all day suddenly threatened to become full blown nausea as their uncertain faces clearly told me that neither of them had an answer.

Macgregor darted glances here and there, obviously hoping that someone else would answer me, but when no one did, he swallowed hard and said, "I don't know where he is. He hasn't been in the lab all day. We had a meeting scheduled for 9 o'clock this morning but he never showed up or sent a message. I was hoping he'd be here."

Kingsley frowned and turned to me. "That isn't like Severus. I haven't known him to miss a meeting since he came to work at the Ministry. He's always very punctual. When did you last see him, Remus?"

"At breakfast. He got an owl from Minerva McGonagall asking him to go to Hogwarts and meet with her. She said it was urgent."

Kingsley nodded. "Perhaps that explains it. She didn't say what it was about?"

"No, but nothing Minerva might want of Severus would prevent him from sending a message if he'd been delayed. I know he didn't expect to be away all day. He mentioned that he had a lab meeting this morning, and he specifically told me he'd see me here, now."

"What are you suggesting?" asked Kingsley, concern beginning to cloud his features.

"The message was an odd one from the start and it's been bothering me all day. It said that Minerva wanted Severus to meet her at the gates to the school. That struck both of us as rather strange at the time, but Severus went anyway. Now I wish he hadn't, at least not without contacting Minerva first."

I pushed myself to my feet. "Minister, may I use the floo to contact her now? I want to be sure that message really did come from her."

Alarm spread across every face at the table at my sudden suggestion that something might be very wrong. A couple years of peace was not enough time to remove the automatic prickles of fear that unexpected and unexplained absences immediately sent down everyone's spines.

Kingsley got to his feet and headed for the door. "The floo in my office is the most secure."

I followed Kingsley out of the conference room, across the reception area and into his private office. Hermione and Percy trailed behind, followed more hesitantly by Edward Macgregor, all of them looking anxious. They hovered in Kingsley's doorway as he and I made a beeline for the fireplace.

I know I should have deferred to Kingsley. He is the Minister for Magic, and we were in his private office, but I was too worried and too impatient to pay attention to protocol. I used my wand to bring up the fire in the grate from halfway across the room and as soon as I could reach it, my fingers dug deeply into the bowl of floo powder that sat ready on the mantel. I wasted no time in tossing it on the fire and calling out Minerva's name.

The Headmistress must have been sitting by her office fire because her head appeared, wreathed in flame, by the time I crouched down in front of the hearth, Kingsley at my side. Even through the distortion caused by the flickering blaze, I could see surprise and vague apprehension on her face as she noted our grave expressions.

"Remus... Kingsley... This is a surprise. What can I do for you?" she asked politely.

I wasted no time getting to the point, though I was convinced that I already knew what her answer would be. "Minerva, did you send a message to Severus this morning?"

She looked startled by my question. "No, I didn't. Why do you ask?"

"While Severus and I were eating breakfast, an owl appeared bearing a note that said it came from you. It asked Severus to meet you at the gates of the school this morning as soon as he could get there."

"How strange! I certainly wouldn't have any reason to ask Severus to meet me at the gates. If I wanted to see him, I'd have invited him to come to my office," she said.

"Yes, we thought that was odd, too, but at the time neither of us suspected that the message didn't come from you. Do you know if anyone at the school saw him today?"

"I haven't heard anyone mention Severus for some time. However, I'll check with everyone and let you know. I'm assuming that you haven't seen him since he left to meet whoever sent that message?" Her voice now mirrored the concern we were all suddenly feeling.

"No, no one here, other than me, has seen him today, but until now, we didn't know there was any cause for alarm in that."

I exchanged a worried glance with Kingsley, who turned to Minerva and said, "Please, let us know if you find any indication that Severus was at the gates this morning or if you find anyone up your way who's seen him today. We're going to begin a search from here as well."

Minerva nodded. "Of course, I'll look into this at once and let you know what I find."

Then Minerva's head vanished from the fire and Kingsley and I got to our feet. Before either of us could say anything, Hermione interjected, "Mr Snape caught up with all the Death Eaters we knew about. Could there possibly be any left that we didn't know about? Or do you think it might be some member of one of their families out for revenge?"

Neither possibility appealed to me in the least, and as voices began to be raised in conjecture, Kingsley put up his hands for silence.

"Speculating wildly won't help us find Severus. Percy, conduct a thorough search of the Ministry, make sure that he hasn't been seen here today by anyone."

Percy nodded and left the room.

"Hermione, call up the Aurors. Have every one of them who's currently available meet me in the large conference room in 20 minutes. We need to get them started in a search. Macgregor, go back to the Potions lab, check Severus's calendar and question all your staff, make certain that no one has any information they haven't passed on to us about where he might be."

Hermione and Macgregor left as quickly as Percy, and I turned to Kingsley and asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"You don't happen to still have the note that was sent do you? Or know where the owl came from? I take it that it wasn't a bird you recognised."

"No, the bird didn't seem familiar. It could have come from any post office. As for the message..." I tried to remember what Severus did with it, and I suddenly had a very sharp mental image of him stuffing it into his pocket before he left the house. I sighed in frustration. "Severus put it in his pocket. He must still have the thing."

"That's unfortunate. I was hoping it might give us a clue as to who sent it."

"If you're thinking about the handwriting, I'm sure if it was obviously not Minerva's writing Severus would have noticed and said something."

Kingsley nodded, his face grim. "No doubt you're correct. All right. The best thing you can do is start thinking of all the places he might have gone, even if they don't seem that likely to you. If you think you have time to do so before the meeting with the Aurors you could either go home or check with your housekeeper to see if he might be there as well."

I nodded. "I'll check with Hester, and try to think of places he might be, but we both know it isn't too likely that he's just gone off somewhere on his own. Someone sent him a phoney message pretending that it came from Minerva in order to lure him to a relatively isolated spot. The only reason to do something like that is to abduct him."

Forcing those words out of my mouth was like spitting out bloody knives, so much pain did they cause me when they passed my lips. But I knew we weren't going to get anywhere by putting our heads in the sand and pretending that Severus had just taken an unexpected trip. He'd been taken, and we needed to figure out who did it, where they took him, and what they intended to do with him as soon as we possibly could.

The next few hours passed in a blur of activity that all seemed to yield nothing but negative results. He wasn't at Greycliffs, he wasn't at Hogwarts, he wasn't at the Ministry, but no one seemed to have any idea where he was. Search teams fanned out all over Britain, checking any place even remotely related to either the Death Eaters or Severus. I wanted to go with them, to do something concrete, but Kingsley held me back.

It was possible, he said, that Severus was being held for ransom. If that was the case, they'd probably send their demands to Greycliffs, and Kingsley wanted me to be there to receive them. I thought this idea was a bit unlikely. Wealthy people were kidnapped for ransom, not people like Severus, who had a good job and was certainly not poor, but was hardly rich either. Of course, someone could have heard about his inheritance. If they didn't know the particulars of Miss Sparling's very unusual will, they definitely could have come to the conclusion that he now was quite wealthy and would make a tempting target for extortion.

It was also quite possible that he could have been taken because he worked at the Ministry. If someone had some sort of political agenda they wanted furthered, kidnapping a Ministry official and threatening him wasn't an unheard of way to try to accomplish their goals. In that case, their demands might either come to the Ministry itself or to Greycliffs. There was no way of knowing.

In the end, I came to the conclusion that I really had only two choices. I could either go running blindly through the countryside poking my nose into every cot, cave, or hollow tree I came across, which was, of course, my first impulse, or I could go home and wait for word and try to come up with some logical explanation for this that no one else had thought of yet.

Ultimately I did the harder thing; I went home and paced up and down the length of the house while I paid witness to Severus's presence in every corner. Every few hours a report would come in from one group of searchers or another, but every one of them was negative. The only report I received that contained anything substantial came from Hogwarts, and it wasn't good news.

Minerva and Filius went down to the castle gates themselves and searched the area. They found what they thought might be signs of a struggle. Some upturned clods of earth, a few unfamiliar nicks and scars on the statues that flanked the gates, some flattened grass... all suggestive but hardly conclusive with no way of knowing how long those things had been there. Then, just as they were about to give up, Minerva found proof of a much more decisive sort. In a patch of thick grass by the side of the gate, she found a wand which she immediately recognised as Severus's.

She sent the wand to Kingsley, who had it tested, but they didn't find anything out of the ordinary in the record of recently cast spells. Some people might have found that reassuring, but I didn't. To me it only made it seem more likely that Severus had been taken by surprise.

Once the Aurors had wrung every bit of information they thought they could get from the wand, they turned it over to me. I hadn't let it out of my sight since it had arrived.

If only it could talk.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Hunting for Prey**

The long afternoon stretched into a seemingly endless night. The first I'd spent without Severus nearby in months. Even when he stormed out of the house after we discovered the treasure, he'd come home eventually. Since he'd begun making the Wolfsbane potion for me, I didn't have to leave the house during the full moon. I locked myself into my room, of course, but it was the rare night when I didn't hear his familiar footsteps pause outside my door while he listened for signs of my presence, and I knew that he didn't find those nights apart any more restful than I did.

Since we'd argued about the treasure- though I suppose we really never got as far as arguing about the treasure because Severus made a unilateral decision and closed the subject off- but regardless, since we'd been at odds over finding it and had been sleeping apart, I don't think either of us had really had a restful night. I know I hadn't. But at least we each knew the other was still there and were able to draw some comfort from that.

This night alone, with no hint of Severus's whereabouts or condition, was pure agony and made me realise just how much I missed having him with me. As I paced through the still and gloomy house, I found myself making the sort of promise you only make in the wee hours of the morning. When you're feeling desperate and lonely, bargaining with fate makes as much sense as anything else.

I vowed to the silent darkness that if he would only come back to me I'd never bring up the subject of bonding rings or marriage again. As long as he was willing to continue living with me, I knew I would eagerly agree to any rules he set out. Having him by my side, safe and unharmed, was all that mattered. For I'd come to realise during those long, shadowy hours that for me, home was no longer a place... it was Severus and without him I'd never really feel at peace again.

Eventually, as night crept on toward morning, the reports from the Aurors stopped coming, but as tired as I was, I knew there was no use in my actually going to bed. Instead I dozed beside the fire, hoping for that one final message that would tell me he'd been found and was on his way home.

Over and over I fell into that hazy realm between dreams and wakefulness and each time I'd see him standing in front of me, his hand stretched out toward me, but whenever I'd reach back, my fingers almost brushing his, something would always jerk me back to full consciousness, and I'd discover all over again that he wasn't really there... and never had been.

Dawn's slow brightening of the sky found me standing by the window of the library watching the shadows recede and wishing that the return of the sun made me feel more optimistic, but the one thought that stood out in my tired mind was that Severus had now been gone for almost an entire day and night. How many more of them would I be forced to go through without him?

Hester knew better than to bother with her usual large breakfast in the dining room. Instead she appeared by my side shortly after daybreak with a pot of strong tea and a plate of buttered toast. I wasn't hungry, but I appreciated the gesture and her support. I knew that she hadn't slept any better than I had. I'd seen her light and heard her pacing behind her bedroom door as I'd moved through the house on my endless ramble, peering into empty shadows and hoping for answers that never came.

At her urging, we both sat down on the sofa by the embers of the fire and she poured out two cups of steaming tea. We sat silently side by side for a time, sipping and munching automatically, more for something to do than because either of us wanted to eat.

Finally she sighed and glanced at me. "This reminds me of that first month you lived here. Waiting around and worrying with Mr Severus when you didn't return after your transformation."

"Really?" I asked, startled out of my thoughts by the unexpected sound of her voice. "You were worried about me? You hardly knew me back then."

She looked embarrassed at having spoken and shook her head. "That doesn't mean I wanted anything to happen to you," she said a bit gruffly. "And now it's Mr Severus who's been gone all night. I know you didn't believe it at the time, but he really was concerned about you when you didn't return when he expected you to. Yes, he covered it up by going on and on about not being able to meet the conditions of the will if you were gone for more than three nights, but I could tell he was just using that point as an excuse so he could avoid admitting how worried he really was."

I rubbed at my eyes, trying to clear the cobwebs from my brain and smiled at her insistence that even back then Severus was concerned about me. "I'd forgotten about that. Not that it matters as far as the inheritance goes, but I certainly hope Severus won't be gone for three nights... either..."

Suddenly as if someone had lit a fire in my logy brain, everything fell into place, and I was absolutely sure that I knew the truth of what had happened to Severus. I jumped to my feet, upsetting the small table that contained the teapot, barely noticing the hot tea as it splashed on my robe and ran across the carpet, startling Richard V who'd been crouched by the fireplace watching our every move with wide eyes.

"That's it! That's it!" I exclaimed in excitement.

Surprised by my abrupt movement, Hester bent and snatched up the empty pot and began to mop up the spill. "What's 'it'?" she asked, clearly not on board the same train of thought I was.

I began to pace the length of the room while I spoke, to better order my thoughts. "It doesn't matter to us whether Severus is away from the house for three nights or not because we've already found the treasure and decided not to make use of it, but it matters to someone else, someone who has no way of knowing what our plans are.

"Damn it, I should have seen it before! All I needed to do was ask myself who'd profit from Severus's absence and the answer would have been obvious. It's not someone with connections to Death Eaters who's taken Severus, Hester. It's Skyrm! It's been that bastard Skyrm all along!"

Hester gasped and her eyes opened wide. "You think Horace Skyrm has abducted Mr Severus!"

"Yes, I do! It makes perfect sense. Think about it. If we fail to claim the inheritance it all goes to Skyrm, who's made no secret of the fact that he's determined to get his hands on it if he can. We've all focused on the fact that we needed to find the treasure in order to inherit and really haven't paid too much attention to the condition that says we both need to live here in the house for a year, spending no more than three nights away in a single month.

"Skyrm couldn't stop us from finding the treasure, nor could he find it himself, but if he can keep one of us away from the house for more than three nights, then he'll win by default no matter what else we do or don't do! In a way, I'm surprised it took him this long to try it. It was really an obvious course of action for him to take, feeling the way he does."

Hester righted the fallen table and placed the teapot carefully back on top of it. Then she sank down onto the sofa, a grim expression on her face, and looked up at me. "You're right; it's definitely something he'd do. He's a slippery one and always has been."

"Hester, you know Skyrm better than I do. Do you think he'd hurt Severus?" Or kill him, my treacherous mind added, though I couldn't quite bring myself to say the words aloud.

She sat and thought for a moment before slowly shaking her head. "If he was cornered he might, but Skyrm is mostly bluster and threats, more weasel than snake. If he thinks he can get what he wants without doing anything too drastic, he'll take the easier path."

I nodded, hoping her assessment of Skyrm was right. "So most likely he's just keeping Severus prisoner until at least four nights have passed. We just have to figure out where he's holding him. Do you know where he lives?"

"No," she said. "His family used to have a house not far from here, but it's been nothing but a ruin for years. I think he lives somewhere fairly close to London, but I'm not sure just where."

"Maybe the address will be at his office. I'll have to start there, I guess."

"No one will be there this early," said Hester.

I smiled grimly at her. "Oh, I'm counting on that."

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

As I hoped, when I arrived at the offices of Stump, Starrett and Skyrm, Warlocks of Law, I found them shuttered and dark and, as far as I could tell, no one else on the alley was stirring so early in the day either. If you're planning a spot of breaking and entering, the fewer people around the better, so I was encouraged by the lack of activity anywhere in the area.

I set to work quickly and was surprised to find that the only wards protecting the building were very rudimentary and easily bypassed. A couple of quick passes with my wand, a twist of the doorknob, and I was inside, standing alone in the shadows of the entryway.

I began my career in burglary by rifling through the file cabinets in the clerk's office, but found nothing of value. Nor was there anything useful in the man's desk, not even an address book or a client list. The only thing I found that was of any interest to me at all was a carefully hidden stash of dark chocolate in the bottom right hand drawer, and I must admit that I snitched a couple of pieces to keep my strength up as I turned to burgling his boss's office.

In one drawer of Skyrm's locked but hardly inaccessible desk, I found an appointment calendar. As I flipped through the pages, I noted that Skyrm didn't seem to be overly busy at the moment, though he did seem to have at least one appointment listed for most days. It seemed significant to me however, that there was absolutely nothing listed on his agenda for the next several days, nor for yesterday either. The last few days of the week were entirely blank.

When I delved deeper into the desk, I found that one of the drawers had a false bottom and inside that hidden compartment were some very interesting documents indicating that Skyrm was up to his ears in debt to the goblins. An excellent motive for making sure he inherited Miss Sparling's fortune if ever there was one.

In addition, I found papers that pointed to something even more alarming. I was no financial expert, but if I was reading those documents right, it appeared that Skyrm had been dipping into accounts that were part of the Sparling estate. Accounts he had access to as executor of the estate, but certainly had no right to loot. No wonder he was so desperate to get his hands on the Sparling money. Not only did he want it to cover his debts, but he needed to cover his thievery as well.

Using a simple duplicating spell, I made copies of the documents and shoved them into my pocket, figuring the information might come in handy later.

Despite an extremely thorough search, I found nothing to tell me where Skyrm lived, but I did find his clerk's address. So I decided to head there next.

The clerk, whose name was apparently Lester Finch, lived in a third floor flat in a rather rundown building in another part of London. Even though by now the sun had been up for hours, judging by his rumpled and bleary-eyed appearance when he finally answered his door, Finch obviously had not. Although he was clearly surprised to find me on his doorstep, he didn't appear unduly alarmed by my presence. I took this to mean that whatever Skyrm was up to, his clerk was likely clueless as to his actions. This wasn't exactly a surprise. Skyrm struck me as a man who kept his own counsel.

"Good morning," I said smiling my very best smile at the dishevelled young man who stood before me stifling a yawn. "I'm terribly sorry to get you out of bed, but it's urgent that I find your boss. I tried your offices, but they were closed up, so I was hoping that you might be able to tell me where Mr Skyrm can be found."

I hoped he wouldn't ask me how I knew where to find him, and luck was with me on that point. It certainly looked as if I'd dragged him out of bed and like most people awoken before they wished to be, he wasn't quite as quick witted as he probably would be after a shower and a cup of strong coffee.

Finch blinked owlishly at me for a moment before nodding. "Uh... yes, uh... Mr... uh..."

"Lupin," I supplied pleasantly when he appeared at a loss. "You've been delivering my monthly allowance for some time now."

Hazy light dawned. "Right, Mr Lupin... at Greycliffs. I'm not really sure where Mr Skyrm is right now. He closed the offices for a few days and gave me the time off. It was all somewhat unexpected, at least to me. I assume he's gone off on holiday somewhere, though he didn't really say so."

"Perhaps he might not have left yet. It's very important that I talk to him. It concerns the Sparling estate." Which of course it did, as that was Skyrm's excuse for the reprehensible actions that I was by now absolutely certain he was guilty of. "Could you possibly give me his home address?"

The young man hesitated for a moment, and I pulled my wand from my pocket and twirled it between my fingers, smiling a smile that was a fraction less friendly. "It really is very... important," I stressed.

I could see dawning apprehension in his eyes, and though I found them difficult to maintain during the time of the new moon, when I was as completely human as I ever was, I toyed with manifesting some of my more intimidating wolfish tendencies to push that apprehension in the right direction.

To my relief, I didn't have to take that step however. Thankfully, he seemed to decide it wasn't worth arguing with me over his boss. Without a word, Finch disappeared back inside, leaving the door open, and I saw him cross the room to a desk, flip open a file and begin to copy something out onto a scrap of parchment. He returned quickly and handed the parchment to me.

"That's his address. I don't know if he'll be there, of course. He really did give me the impression that he'd be away for a few days. If it helps, he told me that he'd be back next week. That's really all I can tell you."

I took the parchment, noted that it contained an address in Surrey, and thanked him politely. He seemed relieved to be able to close the door on me, and I was certainly relieved to have come away from our encounter with yet another place to try in my search for Severus.

Skyrm's house in Surrey was quite modest, barely more than a cottage truthfully, which I'll admit surprised me. He struck me as a man who loved the trappings and appearance of wealth even when he really couldn't afford them so I'd been prepared for something much grander. It sat at the end of a dead end road behind a screen of thick pines, well separated from its nearest neighbours.

This was a fairly common practice in wizarding households situated so close to Muggle areas. It's always wise to fit in superficially so as not to raise any suspicions, but we still needed to find ways to hide our magical activities from casual observation. Hiding our houses at the end of private drives and behind heavy screens of foliage tended to do the trick quite neatly.

The fact that the house was somewhat isolated raised my hopes that Skyrm might be hiding Severus inside, but once I gained entrance, which was again trivially easy to do, it became apparent quite quickly that the place was deserted. Nevertheless, I took my time and searched it from top to bottom, taking special care to inspect the cellar very carefully for any hidden rooms or passages, but I found nothing but dirt and bugs for my trouble.

I'd hit a dead end and needed to try something else.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

"Hester, you said that Skyrm's family has a place around here somewhere, right? Can you tell me where exactly?" I asked as I washed the dirt from Skyrm's cellar off in the kitchen sink back at Greycliffs.

Hester, who was sitting at the kitchen table polishing and re-polishing the silver in order to have something to keep her occupied, paused in her work and looked up at me. "It's not too far away. I could probably take you there more easily than I could give you directions." I had a feeling that Hester was tired of doing nothing but waiting around for news, too.

"You've been there then?"

She nodded. "Yes, once. Not in many years, of course. Not since Old Mr Skyrm died. Surprisingly, he was a very nice man and Miss Sparling always got along very well with him. I don't think he'd be too happy if he knew what sort of mischief his son has been up to." She scowled darkly and rubbed extra hard at a soup spoon.

"Could you take me there now?" I asked, thinking that keeping Hester otherwise occupied might allow the silver to keep some of its finish.

Eagerly, she got to her feet and removed her apron, tossing it casually on the table. "If you want... Did you find out where Skyrm's living now?"

"Yes, and I searched it thoroughly and found nothing useful. I'm certain he's responsible for Severus's disappearance though. He's closed his offices for a few days and has gone away without telling his clerk where to find him. That seems like a dead giveaway to me."

"It sure does seem suspicious. Old scrimp and save never closed up shop that I ever heard of, not even on official holidays if he could get away with it," she agreed. "Oh, before we go anywhere, I've got some messages to give you. The owls started showing up shortly after you left and they've been coming in all day." She headed into the front hall and retrieved several parchments from a small table near the front door.

I took them eagerly and read every one closely, but it was all just more negative information... telling me where Severus wasn't rather than where he was.

"Anything?" she asked as I finished the last note with a sigh.

I shook my head. "No. Still no news."

"The Minister for Magic floo-called for you shortly before you came back." She sounded impressed that she'd actually spoken to Kingsley, but she was clearly trying to remain very casual about it.

"What did he say? Did he have any new information?" I felt a quick stab of hope. Surely if anyone knew anything of value it would be the Minister for Magic.

"No. He said he just wanted to check in with you and find out how you were doing. He was really very sympathetic. Does he know about your personal relationship with Mr Severus? From his manner, it seemed as if he might, though he didn't say anything specific."

I tried to ignore my disappointment at the lack of news and gave her question some thought. "I don't know. I've never said anything to Kingsley about us being anything more than housemates, and I've always tried to keep a bit of distance between us at work. Maybe I haven't done as good a job of keeping my feelings to myself as I thought I had."

She snorted less than delicately. "Since you light up like a candle whenever you see Mr Severus, I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't managed to keep your feelings entirely concealed." She smirked briefly at me before sobering once more. "Anyway, the Minister wanted to know where you were but I didn't give him any specific information. I just said you were out following a lead of your own. I hope that was all right."

"Yes, that's fine. So far I haven't found anything that proves that Skyrm has Severus. All I have are suspicions. I don't want to bring in an army of Aurors until I know for sure that I'll need them. Better to let them keep following their own leads, if they have any."

"He did say that if you needed any help to just send a Patronus or floo his office. Someone would be there around the clock."

I found that reassuring. Hester went to get her cloak and we left the house together. A scant few minutes later we were standing at the end of a long gravel driveway in what appeared to be a fairly isolated area. The property was surrounded by a tall spiked fence with an impressive wrought iron gate that was beginning to rust rather badly. Fortunately Hester had Apparated us inside the fence, once again no wards were in place to keep anyone out.

The narrow drive was lined on either side by large trees interspersed with overgrown bushes, many with rather nasty thorns on them. Weeds poked up through the gravel bed giving the whole place a neglected air. Around a corner down at the far end of the drive, I could just make out the dark silhouette of a house. Everything was still. Even the birds were quiet.

Slowly we made our way down the driveway toward the house, keeping to the verge and under the shadowy overhanging branches as much as possible to avoid being either seen or heard. Once we reached the end of the driveway, we stationed ourselves behind a large convenient bush and looked the house over carefully.

The afternoon sun reflected off windows, many of which were cracked or broken particularly on the upper storey. Shingles were missing from the roof and the stone walls were overgrown with ivy and appeared mouldy in spots. The painted trim was peeling badly. It was clear the house was derelict. After staring at it for awhile, I came to the conclusion that the place probably remained standing simply out of habit more than anything else. No one had put any care into it for quite some time. It was really a sorry sight.

I told Hester to stay put and keep watch while I made a circuit of the house. Keeping to the shadows and shrubbery as much as possible, I crept around the perimeter of the building. A squat one storey structure sat at the end of the driveway to one side of the house and I glanced inside when I came to it. It was empty and seemed just as ramshackle as the old stable at Greycliffs. I could see right up through the roof in spots.

I circled the entire house and returned to Hester's side without seeing any sign of life inside or out. This raised my hopes considerably. An abandoned house, far from its neighbours behind a stout fence and a park full of overgrown shrubbery struck me as the perfect place to hold a hostage.

"I'm going to try to get inside," I told Hester in a low voice. "Wait here and keep watch. If I'm not back in an hour, get back to Greycliffs and floo for the Aurors."

"Wouldn't it be a good idea to get a few Aurors here now to back you up?" asked Hester eyeing the house with concern.

I shook my head. "We could be wrong, and I don't want to pull them off other leads until we know there's a reason to do so."

"But..." she began but I silenced her with a gesture.

"Don't worry, Hester. I can handle Skyrm."

She stared at me for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. But be careful; Skyrm can be tricky."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Skyrm's the one who needs to worry, if I find he's hurt Severus," I said firmly. Then with a final grim smile, I slipped away through the bushes back toward the rear of the house.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Negotiating with the Enemy**

The woods were quite thick at the back of the house so I had no qualms about simply crossing the bit of overgrown lawn and walking right up to the back door. There hadn't been anything to speak of in the way of wards and protective spells on either Skyrm's office or his home, but I knew I couldn't assume that meant these premises were equally as unguarded, particularly if I was right and Severus was being held inside.

It's just as well I was cautious because when I drew my wand and checked, I found far more sophisticated wards and alarms on the door and nearby windows than I'd seen before on any of Skyrm's other properties.

Either he had some unknown reason to lock this house up tighter than the one he actually lived in or I'd come to the right place. I smiled grimly as I methodically took his spells apart. As relatively sophisticated as they were, they were nothing compared to what I'd routinely dealt with during the war. For which I will admit, I was thankful. I had no desire to face that sort of formidable resistance ever again. Living through two wars of the sort I experienced was more than enough for one lifetime as far as I was concerned. All I really wanted at this point in my life was a bit of peace and I wanted to spend it with Severus.

In a matter of minutes, I'd dismantled all the wards and alarms. Then, just to be safe, I cast a disillusionment spell on myself before carefully easing the door open and stepping into a dim and quiet kitchen. There wasn't so much as the ticking of a clock to break the silence, and though I listened as hard as I could, I heard nothing to indicate that anyone else was there.

I began a systematic search of the ground floor. All of the rooms were completely empty. There wasn't even a rug or a piece of furniture to be seen anywhere, which struck me as a bit unusual. Most people end up leaving something behind when they close up a house. I was careful to step slowly and to keep as close to the walls as possible to minimise the possibility of creaking floorboards betraying my presence. Once I'd searched all the ground floor rooms and found nothing but dust, I headed for the staircase that led to the first floor.

Just as I put my foot on the first step, I heard the distant murmur of voices. Listening carefully, I determined that the sound wasn't coming from above me but instead was coming from below. It was all I could do not to turn and run swiftly for the basement door, but I forced myself to move slowly and lightly. I couldn't take the chance of alerting Skyrm to my presence too soon. My best chance of freeing Severus came if I took Skyrm completely by surprise.

Once I reached the door to the cellar, I eased it open and listened. My heart leapt as I heard the sound of Severus's voice, and I rejoiced that it sounded strong and clear. Whatever else Skyrm may have done, it appeared he hadn't yet done Severus any lasting damage. I began to creep slowly down the stairs, testing each step for loose or creaky boards as I went. With every step I took, the voices of Severus and Skyrm became louder and clearer. They appeared to be arguing about the inheritance.

"...verbally abuse me all you want, it won't get you anywhere," said Skyrm angrily. "I have the upper hand now and I intend to keep it! The Sparling estate will be mine in a matter of days which is as it should be. I need it and I earned it, bowing and scraping to that horrid woman all my life while you did as you pleased and ignored her existence! I'm the one who deserves to inherit, not you and that vile, inhuman creature you sleep with!"

Disgust brimmed in Skyrm's voice and the laugh he gave when silence greeted his remark was so nasty it sent a chill through my body.

"Oh, are you surprised that I know about your sordid little relationship?" Skyrm sneered.

"Very little surprises me about you," replied Severus. "Do you spend your time peering into windows?"

Skyrm snorted loudly. "I've kept a close eye on the two of you certainly. I've had good reason to. I won't bore you with the particulars of my surveillance. How I know is irrelevant. Suffice it to say that I know what you get up to. How you can stand to touch such a depraved creature is beyond me." Even without seeing it I was certain his lip had curled into a sneer of disdain.

"There's nothing depraved, vile, or inhuman about Remus Lupin, Skyrm. He's a far more decent and honourable person than either you or me. Certainly he's much more human than you are," Severus stated emphatically and his words warmed me to my soul.

Then Skyrm's bark of cold laughter chilled me once more. "Delude yourself all you want, Snape. I can't stop you, but it hardly matters. I really don't care what you do with your time or how you lower yourself. All that matters to me is that you don't inherit the Sparling estate. Once you've been my guest for three more nights that will be a certainty. I'll have won and that's all that counts."

"It's really not a good idea to kidnap a Ministry official, you know. The penalties are quite severe."

"I don't really think I'm going to have to worry about that."

I couldn't help but frown at the certainty in Skyrm's voice as I crept ever closer to the basement floor.

"Are you counting on it being your word against mine or do you plan to kill me?" asked Severus with an air of casualness I could only admire.

"If I planned to kill you, I'd have done so already and spared myself the aggravation of keeping you prisoner. No, I won't need to worry because you'll never remember any of this ever happened. You won't have a clue where you spent your missing four nights, but it will be a documented fact that you didn't spend them at Greycliffs and that's all that matters."

"I see. You intend to obliviate me then. You may find that more difficult to accomplish than you think," stated Severus flatly.

"We'll see. I'm justly proud of my abilities in the area of memory modification. I've used them to my advantage many times in my life."

From everything I'd learned about the little worm, this bit of boasting didn't surprise me in the least. I had no doubt he'd fail if he tried to turn his abilities on Severus though. Although he apparently didn't realise it, Skyrm was way out of his league. Still if I could help it, and fortunately I could, he'd never get the chance for a practical test of his arrogant presumption.

By this time I'd finally reached the end of the staircase and had silently approached the door to the only lighted room in the basement, which stood ajar. Through the opening, I could see Severus, seated upright and bound to a chair with thick ropes. He looked dishevelled and had a large bruise on one cheek but otherwise appeared unharmed. He was staring intently toward the far corner of the room, so though I couldn't see Skyrm from my angle, I was pretty certain that I knew just where he stood.

In one fluid motion, I pushed open the door, jumped into the room and fired off a stunning spell. My aim was off by a fraction, however, and I only clipped Skyrm, who ducked behind some boxes I didn't know were there and fired back at me. His aim was off as well, probably due to his partially numbed arm, and the slicing hex he shot at me went wide and hit Severus in the left arm.

Severus's grunt of pain was all the impetus I needed to redouble my efforts. My next shot demolished the stack of boxes, my third blasted Skyrm into the wall, and my fourth petrified his unconscious form just in case. Although I would have much preferred to have taken him apart as I did the boxes he'd tried to hide behind, I managed to resist the temptation. Skyrm was luckier than he deserved that I wasn't the depraved creature he thought me to be.

However, once Skyrm fell to the floor unconscious, I didn't give him another thought and instead I ran to Severus's side and, kneeling beside him, gently examined his wounded arm. Fortunately the hex had only grazed him. The slice was shallow, and I was able to heal it with a single wave of my wand, then I banished Severus's bonds and began to apologise as I threw my arms around him and hugged him hard.

"I'm sorry, Severus. I never should have allowed him to get off even a single shot. Are you all right? Has he hurt you in any way?"

Instead of answering me, he took my face in his hands and bruised my lips with his. The passion in his kiss thrilled me after such a long time without him. I'd been an idiot to keep him at arm's length. What difference did it make whether he thought me fitting as a marriage or bonding partner? If he thought me a worthy companion, if he was willing to continue living together as we had been then that was enough for me. When we finally pulled apart to breathe, I began to babble foolishly in my profound relief.

"Thank Merlin I found you. I've been out of my mind with worry. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Severus. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry we ever argued. I know you think I'm too dark and damaged to bond with, but if you'd just consent to stay with me, I promise I'll never bring up the subjects of marriage or bonding or rings or treasure hunts or inheritances ever again. As long as we're together that's all that's important to me. We can go on just as we were before we found the treasure, just as you wanted. Nothing matters to me but you. Only you..."

He looked surprised and, once my flow of words stumbled to a halt, he cupped my face in a gentle hand and ran his thumb lightly across my cheek and lips. His smile held a hint of sadness that I didn't understand, but his tone was warm. "I never doubted that you'd find me, and I have no intention of leaving you, Remus, I promise. There's nothing unworthy about you, never think that. I can see that you were right, though. We do need to talk about this. Unfortunately now isn't the time. Right now we have to deal with Skyrm."

He leaned in and kissed me softly once more, before I helped him to his feet and watched as he stretched cramped muscles and rubbed gently at his still sore arm.

"Should I summon the Aurors?" I asked. "Kingsley has them out in force looking for you."

Severus shook his head. Then he crossed the room to stand over Skyrm's still unconscious form. Bending down, he picked up the man's wand and slid it into his pocket.

"No, I don't think I want to bring the Ministry into this. At least not yet. We have a few things to settle with Mr Skyrm in private. Let's take him back to Greycliffs and have a little chat, shall we?

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

I levitated Skyrm's petrified body into the library at Greycliffs and lowered him gently to the floor in front of the fireplace. His eyes were closed, and I hoped he was still unconscious. Shifting a body was never easy, and although I did my best not to jostle him too much, he did get a few knocks on the trip to Greycliffs, though after what he'd done I wasn't sure why I should be overly concerned about his welfare. No doubt he wouldn't have returned the favour.

Severus strode into the room behind me and stared down at Skyrm for a moment before turning to me. "I'd like you to go stand by the door and keep watch when I wake him up. If you can manage to look menacing, all the better. Skyrm is already afraid of you. We need to use every weapon at our disposal if we're to get what we want from him."

"Severus, why did you insist on bringing him back here? Why don't we just turn him over to the Aurors and be done with him? He deserves to go to prison for kidnapping," I exclaimed hotly. The idea of the little worm shivering in rags in a cell in Azkaban was becoming more attractive all the time.

Severus shook his head and gestured to the portrait on the wall, who seemed to be watching us with great interest. "No. As distasteful as I find the idea, we'd be better off if we can strike a deal with Skyrm. We need him to remove the binding spell from the painting and from Hester. Having Skyrm arrested isn't likely to get that for us."

I sighed and glanced at Hester who'd followed us silently into the room and now stood quietly by the door, wringing her hands and glaring at the bound Warlock of Law. He was right, of course. In my fury over what Skyrm had done to Severus, I'd quite forgotten his previous crimes.

"You're right," I admitted. "But what do we do if he refuses to deal?"

"Follow through on our threat and let Kingsley have him tossed into Azkaban. A short stint in there would change his mind pretty fast."

"It probably would, but Kingsley won't let you use Azkaban as a threat. If Skyrm's convicted and sentenced, we won't be able to pull him out of there to get what we want when he's had enough."

"Then let's hope that the threat alone is enough."

I frowned down at Skyrm and, remembering my early morning trip to his office, I stuck my hand in my pocket. When my fingers encountered the papers I'd copied from Skyrm's desk, I drew them out. Handing them to Severus, I said, "These might help. With everything that's happened, I almost forgot I had them."

Severus took the papers and began to look through them. "What are they?"

"Financial documents. I found them when I was searching Skyrm's office. They seem to indicate that he's in pretty deep with the goblins. I don't think business has been all that good of late at the offices of Stump, Starrett and Skyrm, and Skyrm seems to enjoy spending all that extra leisure time betting on Quidditch. Apparently he's not very good at it."

"No, indeed," murmured Severus as he shuffled through the sheets of paper.

"Look at the last couple. They show that he's been dipping into the Sparling accounts to try to cover his debts. It looked to me as if he's embezzled a rather large amount of money, though apparently not enough to get out from under."

Severus's face darkened as he read. "That certainly explains why he needs to inherit so badly. It's the only way his crime wouldn't come to light."

He looked up and smiled a rather nasty smile as he carefully refolded the papers and slipped them into his own pocket. "Yes, these should definitely be of help. I think it's time to awaken our guest. Would you be so kind as to take up your position by the door?"

I smiled in return. "I'll do my best to look intimidating."

"I'm sure you won't disappoint."

I retreated to the door and stood beside Hester, fingering my wand and adopting a scowl that I hoped was sufficiently menacing.

Severus removed the petrifying spell and cast an enervation charm to awaken Skyrm. The man blinked and looked around him in surprise, then he clutched at his robe, but what he was reaching for was already gone.

"Looking for this, Skyrm?" asked Severus as he twirled Skyrm's wand between his fingers and glared down at the man on the floor.

Skyrm sat up slowly and leaned back against the sofa. "I see we've changed venues," he said with chagrin in his tone.

"Yes, we thought we'd all be a bit more comfortable here. Your basement was severely lacking in amenities. Please, do get up off the floor and take a seat on the sofa." Severus set Skyrm's wand on the mantel well out of reach and kept his own, which I'd returned to him after I'd untied him, lightly clasped in one strong hand. He didn't aim it directly at Skyrm, but none of us doubted that if Skyrm tried anything, he wouldn't have a chance of succeeding.

Skyrm obviously realised that as well, and he wasted no time scrambling up and doing as Severus asked. "You seem to have gained the upper hand, for the moment, Snape. Are the Aurors on their way? I assume you plan to have me arrested for kidnapping."

"It's certainly one possible option, but I haven't quite made up my mind. The truth is that I'd prefer to seek an outcome that's beneficial for both of us rather than simply have you tossed into prison, as pleasing as I find the image of you locked away in a small, cold cell." Severus and I clearly shared the same pleasant fantasy when it came to Horace Skyrm.

Severus twirled his wand between his fingers and glared down at Skyrm. "If we..." Severus nodded toward me and as Skyrm glanced my way, I gave him my most threatening scowl. The man turned swiftly back to Severus, so it must have done the trick. "...are as bad as you think we are, then you know that you really don't want to be one of our enemies. My having you arrested is really not what you should be worrying about.

"After all, it would be trivially easy to just take you back to that little prison in the basement of your abandoned house, kill you, painfully, and set the stage in such a way that anyone would believe your death was self-defence. You were holding me prisoner... I was trying to escape. You came at me, we struggled, I got the upper hand..."

Severus's voice hardened. "You'd be dead and no one would doubt everything happened exactly as I said it did and that would be the end of your pitiful play for riches."

"You won't kill me," said Skyrm, though to my ears he didn't exactly sound certain.

Severus simply laughed softly, and it wasn't a pleasant sound. "Are you sure? You wouldn't be the first man I've killed Skyrm, though I confess, you might be the most enjoyable."

By this time, Skyrm's face was ashen and he was beginning to sweat. Although I was pretty sure this was nothing but a bluff on Severus's part, Skyrm clearly wasn't as certain. He swallowed noticeably before sticking his chin in the air and exclaiming, "Then go ahead! Kill me and get it over with."

The little man had guts. You had to admire that.

"I may very well end up doing just that, Skyrm, but it wouldn't be my first choice," said Severus smoothly.

"What do you want then?" asked Skyrm cautiously.

"I want you to sign a document giving up all claim to the Sparling estate under any circumstances. Whether we inherit or not, you will not. I also want you to remove the binding spells you placed on Miss Sparling's portrait and Hester."

"And if I won't, you'll kill me?" he exclaimed.

Severus merely folded his arms across his chest and frowned. No one did intimidating better than Severus Snape. Though for some reason, in this case, it didn't seem to work.

Skyrm simply shook his head. "You might as well go ahead and kill me. I need that inheritance, and if I can't have it, I'd rather die. Death at your hand might be easier..." His voice lowered and some of his defiance drained away before he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Easier than what the goblins will do to you if you can't repay what you owe them?" Severus's right eyebrow rose to attention.

Skyrm's head snapped up and he stared at Severus in open mouthed surprise.

"Easier than what will happen to you if the fact that you've been embezzling funds from the Sparling accounts comes to light?" Severus cocked his head to the side and gave Skyrm the faintest of smug smiles.

"How... How did you know about that?" Skyrm whispered hoarsely.

Severus shrugged. "How I know is irrelevant. Perhaps I, too, peer into windows."

Skyrm flushed at that. "Well if you know, then you understand why I need the money so badly. I can't just give it up. I can't. I'm in too deep."

"Perhaps I can offer you a way out of your difficulties."

"What way?" Skyrm's voice brimmed with suspicion.

"I have a fair amount of pull with the goblins. I did them a service or two during the war and they were... grateful. I believe I can negotiate much more favourable terms than you currently have. I might even be able to shave a bit off your debt."

Cautious hope glimmered in Skyrm's eyes. "Might...?"

"All I can do is promise to try, but I assure you that my chance of success is nearly guaranteed. Lokragust owes me a life debt."

As the hope strengthened in Skyrm's eyes and he stirred on the sofa, Severus smiled like a cat in the cream pitcher. "Ah, I see his name is known to you."

"Yes," Skyrm admitted. "He's the one who holds my promissory notes."

"I thought he might be. Well, then, we should be able to do business. In addition, for my part I can promise that we won't have you prosecuted for either kidnapping or embezzling. Since you're still trying so hard to obtain the Sparling estate, I trust that means you haven't managed to drain it dry."

Skyrm shook his head. "I can't touch most of the money. It's invested and tied up in legal knots that only an uncontested heir can untie. There were only a couple of small accounts to which I had access. They have been... um... emptied, however."

"That can't be helped now, I suppose, but the rest of the estate is intact?"

Skyrm nodded. "Yes."

"Then do we have a deal?" Severus asked.

Skyrm hesitated for a moment then shook his head. "I won't deal with you on the hope that you might be able to help me. Put proof in my hand that you've been able to negotiate a better deal for me with the goblins, and then I'll be willing to do as you ask."

Severus narrowed his eyes and stared at Skyrm for a moment before nodding. "Very well. You'll remain here in the care of Mr Lupin, while I go to see Lokragust. When I return, we'll talk again."

Skyrm nodded, and after shooting a glance my way, he settled back on the sofa and began to stare gloomily into the fire. Severus, plucked Skyrm's wand from the mantel and crossed the room to me, pulling me out into the hall to speak privately.

Handing me Skyrm's wand, he said, "Keep hold of this and don't turn your back on him. Better yet, petrify him again. I shouldn't be too long."

"Are you sure you can persuade this goblin to do what we want?" I asked.

I'd never had any luck persuading any goblin to do anything I wanted, not that I had any special reason to expect to, of course. In general I've always found goblins to be a supremely cautious, sneaky, and clever people, always looking for the advantage and finding it more often than not. The fact that Severus had such pull with them was frankly very impressive to me.

"Oh, yes. He owes me and it's past time I collected. This is as good a cause as any and I'm sure he'll be glad to retire my debt. I'll be as fast as I can."

He began to turn away and I reached out, caught him by the elbow and held him in place.

"Wait. What if Kingsley calls or worse yet, shows up? Dozens of people are out there criss-crossing the countryside looking for you. We have to tell them you've been found."

"Not yet. We'll lose an advantage if we do. Put Skyrm in another room, preferably one without a fireplace and say nothing just yet. I don't want to alert anyone that I've been found until we know we won't need to use that information against Skyrm. If, at the last minute, he still refuses to do as we want, we need to be able to turn him over to the Aurors on our terms. Don't worry. It'll all be over soon."

Then he smiled at me and squeezed my hand in reassurance, detached it from his arm, and hurried off down the stairs. A moment later I heard the front door open and close, so not knowing what else to do, I went back into the library to take charge of my reluctant guest.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: A Long Overdue Explanation**

Against my better judgement, I did as Severus asked, but I didn't like it. I understood why it was to our advantage not to let anyone else know that Severus had been found, but it just didn't seem right to lie to Kingsley and to keep all those people out searching when there was no more need of it.

I knew I wouldn't be able to lie credibly to any of my friends who might floo with a report on the search or sympathy I didn't deserve, so I moved Skyrm to the small bedroom next to the library and hid in there with him. I placed a silencing charm on the room just in case he decided to be difficult after all, but the precaution wasn't needed. Skyrm settled in quite meekly.

Hester told me that she wouldn't mind telling anyone who might ask that I was still out searching. I could tell she didn't really like the idea of lying to people any more than I did, but this might be the only way she'd ever be rid of that damned binding, which I knew she found to be a frightening annoyance. So she had all the motivation in the world to give it a try despite her misgivings.

Skyrm sat slumped in a chair in the far corner of the room while I paced back and forth unable to settle and watched the clock that sat on the small bedside table. Neither of us was in the mood for conversation, and the time seemed to stretch on endlessly.

After an hour that felt like three, Hester appeared at the door with a plate of sandwiches and a pot of tea on a tray, which I took from her gratefully.

"Any word from Severus," I asked as she handed over the tray of food.

She shook her head. "No, but the Minister for Magic flooed again asking if you were back yet. I told him that you were still out looking. I think he believed me, but I can't be sure. Whenever I lie to someone about anything, I'm always convinced that they can read the truth on my face. Which is why I don't do it too often. It's just too stressful. He said he'd check in again later. He certainly seems like a nice man."

I smiled. "He is. I really hate lying to him, too. I don't think you need to worry, though. I'm sure he didn't doubt you, Hester. He has no reason to be suspicious. I think any honest person finds lying difficult and is sure that everyone can tell when they do it, because they know they aren't being honest and it worries their conscience. Most people really don't notice, however, because they aren't looking for it. The majority of us take what we're told at face value."

Hester nodded hesitantly. "I have to admit it makes me wonder if we aren't all a bit too trusting."

"Maybe we are," I agreed. I wanted to say I'd rather be too trusting than suspicious of everyone and everything, but I knew that the way I approached life was much closer to the latter sensibility than the former, though I certainly didn't like it. That's what living through two wars and growing up with a life-threatening secret will do to you.

With a final nod she turned to go. "I'll stay near the fire, and I'll let you know as soon as Mr Severus returns."

Once she left, I set the tray down on a table near the window and turned to my "guest." He hadn't moved at all while Hester was at the door and I wondered if he'd even been aware of her presence. His focus seemed to be totally directed inward.

"Do you want anything to eat?" I asked Skyrm, though to be honest, I didn't really feel as if he deserved any hospitality. I was still very angry at the man for abducting Severus and treating him so poorly.

I had to ask twice before I was able to penetrate his self-absorption and then he simply shrugged and shook his head. I didn't push the issue. If the man didn't want a sandwich, he didn't have to have one. I didn't really feel all that hungry myself, but I didn't want Hester's thoughtfulness to go to waste, so I poured myself a cup of tea and sat and munched on one of the sandwiches.

Another hour and a half crept by before Hester finally knocked on the door to tell me Severus had returned. Skyrm had fallen into a doze in his chair, so I woke him up and took him back to the library at wand point. He didn't offer me even the slightest bit of resistance. It seemed that all the fight had drained out of him leaving a weary shell behind.

When we entered the library, Severus was standing in front of the fireplace, looking quite satisfied with himself. I took that to mean that his errand with the goblins had been successful, and I was relieved. It meant that this situation was well on the way to being resolved, and it couldn't happen soon enough for me.

"Sit over here, Skyrm," said Severus firmly as he indicated the chair at the small writing desk. "I have a contract for you to sign. Hester, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to act as legal witness."

Hester nodded and followed Skyrm across the room, standing beside Severus as Skyrm took the seat he was offered.

"I'm not signing away my rights to the Sparling estate until I see proof that you've made a favourable deal for me with the goblins. Have you?" Skyrm asked as he crossed his arms and looked up at Severus with a hint of his previous defiance. Apparently not all the fight had gone out of him yet.

Severus pulled a scroll of parchment from a pocket and handed it to Skyrm. "Lokragust was willing to deal, as I told you he would be. I got him to agree to stop charging you interest, to waive any penalties, and to restructure your repayments into something a bit more manageable."

"But I still have to pay..." Skyrm began in a testy voice as he looked over the scroll.

Moving as quickly as I've ever seen him, Severus spun Skyrm and his chair around and held his wand under the smaller man's plump chin, forcing his face up toward him so their eyes locked, Severus's determined and angry, Skyrm's wide and staring.

"Yes, you still have to pay, Skyrm. I never promised that I could wipe your debt out entirely. You accrued it; you have to pay it! The removal of the interest and penalty charges is hardly insubstantial however, and you now have twice as long to repay what has become effectively a much smaller sum. With your current income, it's quite manageable. Are you really going to tell me that you'd rather go to prison or die than pay off this debt? Decide now! Because I'm at the point where all I want is to be rid of you... permanently. I no longer care how."

Skyrm swallowed noisily as Severus pressed his wand further into the man's throat. "Okay," he rasped, the pressure on his throat was no doubt making it hard to talk. "I'll sign your damned agreement."

"And remove the Binding Charms?"

"Yes, all right! Anything to get this over with."

The wand was slowly removed and Skyrm immediately began rubbing at his abused throat. Severus straightened up and withdrew a folded sheet of parchment from an inner pocket. He opened it, laid it on the desk, picked up a quill and handed it to Skyrm.

"Sign it," he said in a low, menacing tone.

Skyrm lowered his hand from his throat and accepted the quill. His hand was trembling. Slowly he inched his chair back around to face the desk and looked down at the parchment. Then after a moment's hesitation, he loaded the quill with ink and swiftly scrawled his name at the bottom, tossing the quill onto the desk when he finished.

"There. You have what you want," he said bitterly.

Without comment, Severus picked up the quill and handed it to Hester. "Hester, if you'd sign there as witness..." He indicated a spot on the document and Hester bent and signed her name. Once she was finished, Severus folded up the parchment and slid it back into his breast pocket out of sight.

"Now, remove the Binding Charms."

"I'll need my wand for that," said Skyrm.

Severus turned to me and nodded. I pulled Skyrm's wand out of my pocket, crossed the room and handed it to him. I made a point of aiming my own wand at his head. "No false moves, Skyrm. Just do as you promised and you'll soon be walking out of here a free man."

Skyrm took the wand and got to his feet. "The binding doesn't matter now."

"It matters to us. Hester first," I said firmly, motioning for Hester to move forward.

She did, though she looked slightly apprehensive. When she stood in front of Skyrm, he raised his wand, but instead of aiming it at Hester, he aimed it at his own hand. Using it to make a small incision in his left thumb, he drew out a drop of his own blood and smeared it between his thumb and forefinger. Then he reached out to place it on Hester's forehead.

She flinched and tried to draw away.

"You have to let me place the blood, Hester. It's the only way to remove the binding," he said.

She glanced at me for reassurance and I nodded. If Skyrm had used a blood based spell to bind Hester and the portrait it certainly explained why Filius couldn't find a way to remove it. Blood magic was very dark and very personal. Countering such spells was immensely difficult, if not impossible without access to the blood of the original spell caster.

Hester seemed to accept my reassurance and she looked back at Skyrm with a frown. "All right."

He nodded and smeared a bit of his blood on her forehead. Then he raised his wand and cast his spell. Hester stiffened and was momentarily bathed in a lurid red glow, then she took a deep breath and sagged slightly. I stepped forward and grasped her arm, but she seemed to recover quickly.

"Are you all right, Hester?" I asked.

She nodded to me. "I think so." Then she turned swiftly to Skyrm, her green eyes flashing with anger, she brought up her right hand and slapped the man across the face. As he reeled back, hand pressed flat to the growing redness on his cheek, she exclaimed, "You nasty, hateful little man! You had no right to bind me, Horace Skyrm! And no good reason, either. Miss Audra didn't tell me where her treasure was hidden, and even if she had, it was no business of yours."

Skyrm's eyes glittered with anger, but before he could make a move, I stepped in front of Hester and pointed to the portrait on the wall.

"That's the least you deserve for what you did, Skyrm. Now remove the binding on Miss Sparling's portrait, and you can go."

Skyrm narrowed his eyes and stared furiously at me, but he didn't dare argue. Slowly he lowered his hand from his flushed face and abruptly turned his back on me. He approached the portrait over the fireplace and repeated what he'd done to Hester, smearing his blood on the painted surface and casting his removal spell.

This time the red glow enveloped the painted figure, dissolving her bonds, in an instant. Audra Sparling slowly got to her feet and glared down at Horace Skyrm with an expression of utter loathing on her face.

"I should have stopped using your firm when your father died, Horace, but out of misguided loyalty and affection for him, I continued to trust you with my business and my property. It was a mistake. You are the lowest sort of creature, deceitful, manipulative, thieving and cruel. Your father would be horribly disappointed at the man you've become. I'm sorry that Severus is showing you any mercy at all. You don't deserve it!

"Even if it meant I had to remain bound forever, I'd have relished the thought of you freezing the rest of your pitiful life away in Azkaban prison for your crimes. As it is, you're getting off lightly. Get out of my house! Now!"

"Gladly!" exclaimed Skyrm. "I hope I never have to lay eyes on any of you ever again!"

With a hateful glare for all of us, Skyrm bolted from the room. The staccato tap of his footsteps echoed back to us as he hurried down through the house followed by the loud slam of the front door as he finally made his escape.

Severus, Hester, and I all looked at each other in relief, then as one, we turned to look up at the portrait over the fireplace. Miss Sparling had resumed her seat and was smiling down on us all.

"Thank you for getting the binding removed," she said. "Although I meant what I said to Horace, I am grateful to be free again. Even portraits value their freedom, such as it is."

She turned her gaze on Hester. "Hester, my dear friend, I'm sorry that you had to suffer as I did at Horace's hands. I can't tell you how much it meant to have you try to defend me from him, but it was foolish of you to risk yourself that way. I'm glad you didn't come to any permanent harm through your loyalty to me."

Hester blushed becomingly and smiled up at her friend and former mistress. "I wish I could have stopped him, but at least it's all behind us now."

"Yes. Thankfully it is. Hester, would you excuse us for awhile? I need to speak to Severus and Remus alone."

The housekeeper nodded. "Of course. Do you want me to wait downstairs? Will you be needing me again tonight?" He eyes darted toward Severus and then toward me.

I shook my head. "You've had a long day, Hester. I think you should go to bed and get some rest. We'll talk again in the morning."

"Remus is right, Hester. Go to bed. If there's anything else we need tonight, we'll get it ourselves," said Severus. "Thank you for all your help."

She smiled. "I should be the one thanking you for getting Skyrm to remove that binding spell. I'll sleep much better tonight with it gone."

"Goodnight, Hester," said the portrait. "We'll catch up tomorrow."

With a final smile for us all, the housekeeper stifled a yawn, which I had real difficulty not emulating, and took herself out of the room and down the stairs to bed leaving Severus and me alone with the portrait. We glanced at each other, then turned our attention back to Miss Sparling.

The lady smiled down at us. "Well, gentlemen, we have a lot to discuss. First, do let me say how pleased I am to see the two of you here together. It has been a pleasure to have you here in this house. It's been a cold and lonely place for too long, and you've brought warmth back to it again. For that I sincerely thank you."

"I should... apologise for my outburst after we found your treasure," said Severus, somewhat to my surprise. Apologies do not come trippingly from his tongue, and he seemed to be having a bit of difficulty getting this one out, but to his credit, he appeared to be determined to succeed.

"Despite my feelings on the matter, I had no right to berate you like that, especially since you couldn't possibly defend yourself. Partly my actions stemmed from my frustration at not being able to talk the matter over with you. I made assumptions that were perhaps, unwarranted," he admitted.

"You were certainly wrong to suggest that I left those rings to you as some sort of cruel joke, Severus. I've never wanted anything but the best for both of you. Does your apology mean that you've changed your mind and are now willing to use the rings as they were intended?"

"No," I interjected impulsively, somewhat surprised to hear my own voice interrupting the two of them. "We don't intend to use the rings."

"Remus..." Severus began, but I cut him off.

"No, when I freed you from Skyrm's cellar, I promised that I wouldn't raise the subject again, and I meant it. It's clear that using those rings isn't something you want to do, and all I want is for you to be happy, Severus... and for us to remain together, if we can. The rings can stay in their box. I'm sorry that means you'll have to forfeit the estate though. Now that Skyrm's given up his rights to it, what's likely to happen when we don't fulfil the conditions to inherit?"

"I'm still the closest blood relative," said Severus. "Even if we don't meet the conditions set out in the will, I could probably put a strong case before the court that I should be allowed to inherit anyway. It might not work of course, the court might claim the estate or at least a large portion of it, but I think I'd have a good chance of success."

"It seems to me that the two of you still have things you need to work out between you, but before you give up on fulfilling the will's conditions, will you allow me to explain why I made the will out the way I did?" asked Audra.

Severus snorted shortly. "Madam, nothing would please us more than getting an explanation for that ridiculous will. It seems to me that if you truly wanted us to have your estate, the best way to insure that would have been to simply leave it to us, no strings attached."

"And what would you have done, had I done so?" demanded Audra.

Severus opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, she answered for him.

"I'll tell you what you'd have done. You'd have whined and complained about having to share the estate with your old enemy. Then you'd have taken possession, liquidated the assets, split it as evenly as you were forced to and gone your separate ways. Isn't that the truth?"

I wasn't about to argue with her assessment, I thought it was exactly right, and from the look on Severus's face it was clear he thought so, too.

"Probably," he admitted reluctantly.

"Hmph! Definitely, I think," she said with a huff of satisfaction. "I didn't want my home sold out from under Hester and placed in the hands of strangers so you two could continue to argue with and ignore each other. I wanted it to go to the two of you together. I knew if I just handed over the estate to you that would never happen. You needed time to discover the value in each other. You needed the time to fall in love and realise that you were meant to be together. The quest for the treasure and the requirement that you live together in this house was my way of assuring that outcome."

"What made you think such an outcome was even possible?" I asked curiously. Certainly no one who knew us would have tried to push Severus and I together, so I was still somewhat uncertain why a complete stranger would try to do it.

"I think you can probably guess the answer to that, can't you? The hints were there and I know you've seen them," she said.

When she said that, the answer suddenly did seem obvious. What we'd theorised must be correct after all. "You mean the books on Divination and the crystal ball... You were a seer." I said.

She nodded. "Yes, I've seen the future. Your future... and it's here with each other in this house."

She sighed. "I've always had the gift, but for many years it was vague and unfocused. I saw, but I didn't always properly understand what I was seeing. The visions concerning the bonding rings began when I was just a girl. For many years, I thought the rings were for me, I assumed the shadowy hands I saw wearing them were my own and that of the man I'd marry. So I sought them everywhere, eager to find them and fulfil this romantic prophecy.

"Back then, the statue in the middle of the maze was open, you could walk right up to it, but I never thought that it had any particular significance. As far as I knew, it was just a decoration in an ornamental maze. I'd noticed the keyhole, of course, but it never occurred to me that there was really a key to fit it until I found it.

"I was thrilled when I finally found the rings in their underground chamber. I hugged the secret to myself. I never even told my sister, your grandmother, Severus, in whom I confided most of my more intimate secrets. Just after I found the rings, I fell in love, and I convinced myself that it was all happening as I'd foreseen it. I was supremely happy. Sure that I was fulfilling this wonderful destiny. But it wasn't meant to be. My father intervened. I was forced to leave school, and the man I loved, married someone else.

"I was left alone and horribly confused. So I went back and began to delve deeper into the study of Divination on my own, focusing on interpretation of visions. Over time, my ability increased, my visions sharpened, and my understanding improved, and I slowly came to realise that the rings weren't meant for me after all. I was the facilitator, the guardian, if you will, but not the chosen.

"The first time I met you, Severus, even though you were still a child, I knew you were the one I'd seen in my visions. It took a long time to discover who your bond mate was, but once I did, I began to watch you both very carefully. What I discovered didn't exactly match the images of blissful happiness that I continued to see regularly in my mind's eye, and that's when I finally understood why I was the one receiving the visions. It was because fate needed me to bring the two of you together.

"You shouldn't fear that the bonding won't work, Severus. I've seen the rings on your fingers..."

"In your visions," said Severus, scepticism still evident in his tone.

"Yes, in my visions. Just because they're visions, does not mean they aren't true." She paused and shook her head. "Our family is not known for giving to others, Severus, but you..."

Severus laughed. "No one would ever call me a generous and giving sort."

"That's not true," said Audra Sparling sharply. "Regardless of the motivations for your actions, no one in our family has ever given more or sacrificed more for others with no thought to their own gain or safety than you did during the war. Your soul is more admirable than you realise, Severus. Don't sell yourself short. This is your destiny. Don't you believe you deserve some happiness after everything you've gone through?"

I couldn't help but agree with her assessment. Severus was without a doubt the best and bravest man I'd ever known, but then it wasn't Severus's soul that was unworthy of bonding. It was mine.

When Severus said nothing, I decided it was time to step in.

"I don't think it's a matter of Severus wanting to be happy, Miss Sparling," I said. "Everything you said about him is true. He's an incredibly brave and honourable man, and he deserves happiness more than anyone I know. His problem is having me as a partner. I'm the one who isn't worthy of the bonding. I'm the one with the damaged soul."

Both Severus and the portrait turned to look at me, but before either of them could say a word, the fireplace floo crackled to life and Kingsley's face appeared in the flames. Although I was grateful for the reprieve from what I knew would be a painful conversation, I wasn't at all prepared to face Kingsley's questions.

"Remus," he began, then as he noticed Severus standing beside me, he exclaimed, "You found him! Why didn't you let us know?" His chiding tone made me cringe. I should have let him know hours ago, but at the very least, I should have insisted we floo him as soon as Skyrm had left the house rather than let ourselves get sidetracked by Miss Sparling's story. As interesting as it was, and as much as we'd longed to hear it, ignoring Kingsley and the searchers for all that extra time was inexcusable.

I stepped closer to the fire and crouched down. "I'm sorry, Kingsley," I apologised. "I was just about to call you. I found Severus a short time ago, and we just got home." I really hoped the slight distortion of the fire covered the revealing colour in my cheeks because they felt as warm as the flames.

"Where was he? Is he all right? Do we have more Death Eaters to worry about?" The Minister demanded.

Anxious to escape the questioning to come and acknowledging to myself that Severus was a far better liar than I was, I said, "He's fine. In fact, why don't I let him explain everything to you." Then I got to my feet and moved away from the fire, motioning for Severus to take my place.

Severus gave me a slightly annoyed glance before kneeling down in front of the fireplace, and as I stood there and listened to him begin to spin a slightly embroidered tale of our recent adventures, all the tension and exhaustion of the past twenty four hours caught up to me. All of a sudden, I just didn't think I could face another minute of either an examination of my unsuitability as a bonding partner or lying to the Minister for Magic. Saying a swift goodnight to Miss Sparling, I told Severus I was going to bed and left the room, knowing that I was taking the coward's way out.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: A Perfect Match**

Once in my own room, I leaned wearily against the door for a moment before stripping off my robe and shirt and tossing them carelessly over the closest chair. I didn't have the energy to hang them up, so I just left them where they fell. They'd simply have to wait until tomorrow to be put in their proper place. I sat down on the side of the bed and stripped off my boots and socks, letting them drop to the floor. Then I simply lay back on the coverlet and closed my eyes.

The world felt as if it was spinning lazily and I let myself spin along with it. I must have fallen asleep because when a knock sounded on my door, I jerked back to awareness with the feeling that I'd been in the middle of a dream, but whatever I'd been dreaming about fled from my memory as soon as I opened my eyes. Feeling very groggy, I pushed myself up onto my elbows and turned toward the door.

"Come in," I said.

Severus opened the door and peered inside. He raised an eyebrow as he saw me stretched out half dressed on the bed, my hair mussed and my eyes still somewhat unfocused. I doubt I was a particularly appealing sight, though when I attempted to smile at him, he did return the gesture, and his smile seemed fond.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

I attempted to sit up and ran a hand through my hair which probably did nothing more than disorder it more thoroughly, and I shook my head, trying to clear out the last of the cobwebs.

"Uh... yeah, I guess you did. I only lay down for a second..."

"That was a half hour ago," said Severus as he leaned casually against the doorjamb.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, stretching a kink out of my shoulder and rubbing my neck. "Really? It seems like only a few moments."

I gave him a somewhat awkward and guilty look. "I'm sorry I ran out and left you to explain everything, but I really had no idea how to answer Kingsley's questions. We hadn't discussed what to tell him, and I figured having the two of us trying to make something up on the spot was just asking for trouble."

"That's all right. It probably was better to let me explain things myself anyway. I'm a better liar than you are." He smirked at me, and I couldn't disagree since that same thought had crossed my mind as well.

"What did you end up telling him?" I figured I'd better know what story he told in case I was asked to give my version at a later date. It wouldn't do if our versions didn't mesh well. People would start to wonder why.

He shrugged. "Actually, I told him the truth for the most part, although I didn't name any names or give out any unnecessary details. I just said that the person who abducted me had a personal grudge and, once you rescued me, we'd come to an agreement that settled our dispute. It took awhile to persuade him that my abductor had nothing to do with the Death Eaters and that I really didn't intend to press charges. In the end, he seemed to accept my explanations, though I don't think he was totally satisfied. I can't blame him, I suppose. In his place, I wouldn't be satisfied with what was clearly less than the whole story either."

"So I guess it's all over then." I smiled at him, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. Our relationship had been rather strained when Severus had gone missing, and although it felt as if we'd moved past all that when I found him, we hadn't had a moment alone to discuss things since then and now that we did, I wasn't quite sure what to do or say.

Severus looked a bit unsure of himself, too, and he hovered in the doorway. "Yes... Well, I should probably let you get some sleep. You look done in," he finally said somewhat hesitantly.

"I haven't had much sleep in the last couple of days," I agreed. "I've been too busy and too worried. I'm really glad to have you back, Severus. Glad that Skyrm didn't do you any lasting damage. He'd have regretted it if he had, I assure you."

I frowned as the image of a bruised and dishevelled Severus tied to that chair in Skyrm's dimly lit basement leapt into my mind. I knew in my heart that if Skyrm had severely injured or killed Severus he never would have left that place alive. The man was right to fear me.

"Thank you for coming after me," Severus said softly.

I smiled at him. "I hope I can always be there when you need me," I said simply.

He hesitated for a moment longer, then apparently making up his mind about something, he left the doorway and crossed to the bed, sitting down next to me.

"I... regret that we argued," he said. "You were right when you said we should discuss finding the treasure. I just... I was being selfish. I know... Look, you've got the wrong impression. I understand why. The things I said, what you overheard... but you misunderstood."

I know I just stared at him blankly. Honestly, I had no idea what he was going on about and I'd never heard Severus fumbling around for words before. He was one of the most articulate people I'd ever known. Words never seemed to fail him, until now.

I shook my head and smiled sheepishly. "Maybe I'm still half asleep, but I have no idea what you're talking about," I admitted.

Severus rubbed his eyes wearily and sighed. "Then let me try again. You have the impression that I refused to consider using the bonding rings because I somehow think you're unworthy, that your soul is too damaged for the bonding to work, am I right?"

A stab of pain ran through me at this straightforward statement. I knew that we'd have to have this conversation sooner or later. Apparently I'd put it off as long as I could. I looked away from him for a moment then forced myself to meet his eyes once more. It was time to get it over with.

"I don't hold it against you, Severus, and I'm not surprised that you feel that way. I am a dark creature. I can't deny it. Animals are wary of me, people fear me... it's just part of being a werewolf. No one could spend their life under the control of that curse and not be damaged by its darkness. Look, we don't have to talk about this anymore. I already told you I accept..."

He reached out and gently grasped my arm. "No. No, you have it all wrong. It's not your soul that's unworthy. It's mine. You call yourself a dark creature and technically that's true, but I've never known anyone less corrupted by that vile curse than you. You've spent a lifetime fighting against it, and you've never lost your humanity. You're a good man, Remus. An honourable man. There's nothing dark about your soul. My soul is the one that's damaged."

I just stared at him in disbelief. It never occurred to me that he could have been referring to himself when he talked about having a soul that was too damaged for the bonding.

"What? Why would you think that?" I exclaimed.

"Why do you think? What damages a soul more than murder?" he asked, his tone slightly impatient.

"Severus, it was war!" I exclaimed. "We both did things we aren't proud of. We both killed people."

"I did much worse than kill people in battle who were trying to kill me. I participated in so many horrible, despicable, unforgivable acts while playing my part as a Death Eater that my hands will never be cleansed of the blood, but even setting all that aside, I didn't just kill... I murdered. Coldly and deliberately and with much pre-meditation."

"You mean, Albus."

"Of course, I do." His voice registered irritation but his eyes were haunted.

"That wasn't your fault. You had no choice. He told you to kill him! He made you promise," I asserted firmly. We all knew the truth of that horrible death by now and no one blamed him for it any longer. No one. Yet clearly he still blamed himself.

"That excuses nothing!" he snapped, a touch of anger in his tone. Then taking a deep breath, he began again more calmly. "I killed Albus Dumbledore in cold blood. Why I did it is irrelevant. Motivation and circumstances mean nothing here. More than anything else, the act of murder shreds the soul. Just because you don't take that severed piece and consciously turn it into a Horcrux doesn't change the fact that a precious part of you is gone, and you can never get it back."

I'd never thought about it before, but put like that, I couldn't deny it. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps his soul was as damaged as my own. And perhaps... that was what would make the difference for us.

"Severus, when Minerva was telling you about this ceremony, she said the souls had to be worthy of the bond, right?" I asked, wanting to be certain I understood.

"Yes. That's why I've been concerned," he said with a hint of impatience for what he no doubt saw as my obtuseness.

"But did she mean worthy in some abstract sense or worthy of each other?"

He stared at me and his mouth dropped open but for a moment no words came out, then he cleared his throat and said, "I... don't know. I assumed worthy in the abstract."

"But what if the truth is that they simply have to be a good match, a perfect match, for each other? Maybe two damaged souls can make the bonding work if they're meant to be together."

"I... maybe... I don't know." He hesitated. Obviously this was an idea that hadn't occurred to him before. To be honest, it hadn't occurred to me either, but the more I thought about it the more I felt it was the answer for us.

"Miss Sparling swears that she's seen us wearing the rings, doesn't that practically prove that we can make it work? Perhaps we're being foolish to worry."

He still looked doubtful and I felt a chill run through me.

"That is unless you don't want to bond with me," I added reluctantly. "I certainly don't want to force you into something you don't want."

Severus reached out and gripped my arm, squeezing gently as he shook his head and stared earnestly into my eyes. "No. I do want it! More than anything, I want you beside me forever. This past year together has been a revelation to me. Even though I realise I never said so, I knew very quickly that this time it was real. That this time... I'd fallen in love with the right person... and that love was deeper and more wonderful than anything I ever thought I'd experience.

"Why do you think I was so upset when we found those rings? I saw them as a symbol of what I wanted more than anything but didn't believe I could ever have. It's also why, when we argued, and you told me you were going to pack, I insisted on invoking that ridiculous penalty clause to keep you at Greycliffs. I simply couldn't bear the thought of you leaving me even if I had to use subterfuge to keep you."

"I love you, too, you know," I said simply, my heart deeply warmed by his words.

"I know," he murmured, and we smiled foolishly at each other.

Immensely encouraged, I said, "I think we're a good match and I believe a bonding will work for us. We don't have to do it in public, if you don't want to, though. That way, if we're wrong, no one would have to know."

He paused for a brief moment then shook his head firmly. "No. There's no reason to do it in secret. I think you're right. Perhaps it is time we trusted in Aunt Audra's visions and in our... love for each other. We really have very little to lose and so much to gain."

I slid my arm around him and drew him close. "Well, in that case... if you're going to become my husband, don't you think it might be a good idea to see if we're sexually compatible?"

"Because we haven't established that after several months of sleeping together?" The dry tone of Severus's voice as he smirked at me made me grin. It just felt so right.

"Indulge me..." I began to press soft kisses along his jaw line. "I just want to be sure. It never hurts to check these things out, you know."

Severus lifted his chin to give me better access and I began to trail kisses down his neck as well. "And how do you propose we do that... check, I mean?" he asked.

"I'm a firm believer in empirical research, myself. I make up theories then test them out." I continued to kiss his neck as I pulled him ever closer.

"Oh, and what theories have you come up with?" Severus's voice had acquired a purr and I grinned as I listened to it.

"Well, for one thing, I have a theory that if I nibble at this hollow at the base of your throat... just here..." I placed my lips lightly against his skin and whispered, "That you'll moan for me, deep and low." I nipped gently at the soft skin and Severus moaned obligingly. My cock jumped and I shivered at the sound. It had been too damned long.

"Seems you were correct," he said softly. "Any other theories we should test out..."

"Oh, dozens... possibly hundreds. It could take quite awhile to get through them all," I murmured as I began to unbutton his shirt. "Interestingly enough, the majority of them involve removing all this excess clothing."

His hands slid gently down my back to cup my arse and squeeze gently. "That's probably a good idea. I've been in them far too long."

I finished unbuttoning his shirt and drew it slowly off his shoulders and down his arms, discarding it on the floor. "You know, I've spent a day and a half in my clothes, too. Some of my theories involve water. How about if we do a little research in the shower?"

"I've always enjoyed water sports... at least the more intimate variety." Severus smiled suggestively before leaning in and kissing me so hard it took my breath away. When he finally pulled back, I felt a bit lightheaded.

"Right..." I gasped. "Well, then, the shower it is."

The rest of our clothing was quickly shed and discarded in our wake as we made our way to the shared bathroom between our bedrooms.

We stepped into the shower stall and drew the curtain against the world, and I turned on the water, hissing sharply as the icy spray hit me in the chest before it warmed to a much more comfortable temperature.

For a long moment, we just stood there together letting the warmth of the water cascading around us soothe away the cares of the past few days. As we slid soapy hands across each other's bodies, I closed my eyes and allowed the warm, sure touch and familiar scent of my lover to ease the tension from my muscles and fill my heart with joy.

Once we were both cleaner and much more relaxed, Severus took me there against the smooth tiles with the warm water sluicing off our bodies as we joined together. When he came deep inside me, his breath tickling my ear as he gasped out my name, I came as well. In that moment, while I stood shaking with release, intensely conscious of his hands on me, of his body pressed to mine, I felt more at peace than I could ever remember feeling in my entire life. Whatever the future held for us, I knew I was ready to face it as long as Severus was at my side.

**xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox xoxox**

On a bright October day under a brilliantly clear sky, I stepped out of Greycliffs and struck off across the back lawn wearing new robes in a deep midnight blue with silver edging. I'd finally found the time to do a little shopping and I thought the silver and blue suited me pretty well. I hoped that Severus would agree. I had a feeling he'd be pleased. As he never seemed to tire of telling me, I really needed to update my wardrobe.

Across the rippling grass, I could see people heading into the small chapel at the edge of the forest, and I picked up my pace. It wouldn't do to keep Severus waiting too long, he was nervous enough as it was, and I'd be damned if I was going to be late for my own wedding. I'd all ready waited far too long.

As I neared the chapel, I saw Severus standing beside the open door peering in at all our friends as they milled around inside the little stone building, probably wondering why there weren't any seats for them to sit on. We'd actually considered conjuring up chairs for everyone, but Minerva had told us that traditionally, guests were supposed to stand at a bonding ceremony as a sign of respect for the bonding couple.

In a whispered aside, she'd added that this also allowed the guests to make a quick and discreet exit if for some reason the bonding didn't take. Thus minimizing the couple's embarrassment and also getting bystanders out of the path of any impromptu projectiles or spells if one potential bond mate decided to blame the other for the failure of the ceremony.

I was glad she hadn't said that loud enough for Severus to hear, he still seemed a bit uneasy about going through with the ceremony, though he denied it vehemently if I brought it up. I'd offered to have the ceremony performed in private more than once but each time I did, he refused to even consider the idea. Once he began to appear annoyed by my offers, I stopped making them, but he still seemed slightly unsettled about the whole thing and would clearly feel much better once it was all over.

Now that everyone else had gone inside, Severus was standing alone outside the door waiting for me to join him so we could enter together as was apparently traditional for this sort of ceremony. He looked gorgeous in his deep green robes with the sunlight picking out lustrous highlights in his dark hair.

At least, he hadn't given in to his nervousness and run off. Not that I seriously thought he would, of course, but being abandoned at the altar is one of those irrational, panicked worries that most people about to get married entertain at some point, if only fleetingly. Though not me, of course.

I slipped up beside him and took his hand, and he clasped mine firmly and gave it a squeeze before turning to me with a smile.

"Everyone seems to be here," he said.

"Then I guess we should go in and get this bonding ceremony started," I said, smiling back.

He nodded and straightened up, smoothing down his robes self-consciously. I just gave his hand another squeeze and stepped forward into the chapel, pulling him along with me.

Just inside the door, we'd hung a small landscape painting for the convenience of our special guest, and I glanced at it as we entered to see if Miss Sparling was present. She was and when she saw me looking at her, she inclined her head and smiled an ever so slightly wistful smile at the two of us. Our union was the culmination of a lifetime's occupation for her, and I knew she was pleased and proud, but I imagined there was also just a hint of sorrow in her heart for herself and the man she'd loved and lost so many years ago.

All of our friends were there and the church was crowded with smiling, happy people. Hester stood at the edge of the crowd, sniffling into a handkerchief. She blushed fiercely when we stopped beside her, each of us giving her a kiss on the cheek. She'd been a loyal advocate for both of us during this last tumultuous year together, and we owed her a lot.

As Severus and I slowly made our way through the throng toward the front of the small room, we were stopped frequently by guests who wanted to offer their best wishes. Kingsley, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Percy and the rest of the Weasleys, Neville and Luna, the members of Severus's lab, Filius and Pomona, the list of guests went on and on. I had the feeling that we'd both invited more people than we might have otherwise as we each attempted to reassure the other that we were certain the bonding would take.

Even Dora and Charlie were there with Teddy. It appeared that they were making a go of their relationship, and I was glad. I sincerely hoped that they'd be as happy together as I was with Severus. It had been a long, somewhat painful road for all of us to get where we were now, but everything had worked out for the best in the end. I firmly believed that.

Although I couldn't help feeling a twinge of loss when Teddy pulled away from his mother and threw himself into my arms as I came near enough to speak to them. I hugged him close for what I knew was probably the last time before reluctantly handing him back to his parents. As I forced a smile and turned away from him, I was infinitely grateful for Severus's warm supporting hand on my back.

Finally we reached the front of the room and the cleared space that surrounded the bonding circle. Minerva had agreed to perform the ceremony for us. It was a ritual she knew a lot about, but had never had the opportunity to actually perform before, and I know our request to officiate for us had pleased her deeply.

The only requirements needed to conduct a magical bonding ceremony, which Minerva possessed in abundance, were a thorough knowledge of the ritual and enough magical strength to control and guide the magic the incantations invoked. Magnified by the power of the stone circle, it was the magical energy unleashed during the ceremony that created the soul bond, provided of course that the souls that occupied the circle were a good enough match for it to take.

As we reached the front of the chapel, with our friends clustered around us and wishing us well, we stepped together into the bonding circle and waited, our hearts pounding in anticipation.

Minerva stepped forward. She was wearing a robe of deep burgundy edged in gold and smiled at us with warmth and fondness, and we both smiled back. Equal amounts of excitement and anticipation prickled up and down my spine and, if I was reading Severus right, the same was true for him. The bonding rings in their box floated beside Minerva on a small, red velvet cushion.

"Severus... Remus... are you ready to begin?" she asked.

We both nodded and replied in the affirmative, and I was pleased that neither of us sounded nervous or uncertain in the least. We were committed to our path now and anxious to see it through.

Without another word, she reached into the box that hovered beside her and picked up one of the rings, fanning it out into its component ribbons.

"Please clasp your left hands together," she said. We did as she requested then stood waiting to see what she'd do next. She stepped up beside us and slipped the ribbon in her hand over my ring finger and wound it around our clasped hands in an intricate pattern, tucking the free end into the design rather than knotting it.

Once she'd finished to her satisfaction, she took up the second ribbon ring and repeated the pattern, beginning this time with Severus's ring finger. When she finally stepped back and looked with satisfaction at her handiwork, our left hands were firmly bound together.

Stepping out of the bonding circle, she lifted her wand and inscribed a golden ring of flame in the air above our heads. At the same time, she intoned something in a language that I felt I should understand, yet didn't. The flaming circle began to revolve, slowly at first then picking up speed until eventually it was rotating fast enough to almost seem like a solid gold ring gleaming in the light that streamed into the chapel through its long windows.

Then, quite suddenly, Minerva raised her hands up high and brought them down swiftly and as she did, the ring of light slipped down over us and plunged into the opening cut into the grey stones of the floor.

The circle came to life and began to glow with an inner fire. Minerva began to walk slowly around the outer edge of the circle, her heels clicking rhythmically against the stones as she continued to chant her spell, and the golden magic that now glowed within the stones began to throb and flash. Then abruptly, it started to rise and fall to the rhythm of her voice. The fire pulsed and grew around us in great sheets of glittering golden flame. First it rose to the level of our knees, then to our shoulders and finally it flared up high above our heads so that Severus and I were completely enclosed in a column of shimmering light.

I was forced to close my eyes against the brilliance of the pillar of magic that now surrounded us, yet I could still see its bright pulses even through the protective screen of my eyelids. As I stood within that column of light, my awareness shrunk to include nothing outside the safe, loving, feeling of Severus's hand in mine, the bright throb of magic that seemed to echo my own beating heart, and the distant, soothing rhythm of Minerva's voice.

Time ceased to have any meaning for me. If pressed I knew I wouldn't be able to say how long we stood that way, cut off from everything around us. It might have been hours or only a few moments, I neither knew nor cared, caught up as I was in the intense feeling of warmth and contentment that permeated my soul.

At some point I opened my eyes and saw that Severus had too. We stared at each other and I felt myself falling into him and being welcomed with a fierce upwelling of love and joy, and I eagerly sought that connection as a parched man would seek the water of life. No words or promises were necessary. Everything that we felt for each other found expression in that all encompassing warmth that permeated us, melding us together into one being.

Eventually the brightness began to fade, the throbbing ebbed and the column of light melted away, and I found myself standing inside the circle, surrounded by the love of our friends, my hand clasped in Severus's. A ring of gold, edged in silver now gleamed brightly on the third finger of my left hand. Although the pulsing magic had faded from my sight, I could still feel its loving warmth inside me, and I knew without having to be told that it would always be with me as long as we both lived. For better or worse, we were bonded together for the rest of our days.

We smiled at each other as our friends clapped and gathered around to offer their enthusiastic congratulations, and I took a moment to murmur in my new husband's ear, "You see, it worked."

He snorted softly and smiled at me, raising one elegant brow. "Of course it worked. I never doubted it for a moment."

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I laughed out my delight and pulled him into my arms for a kiss to seal our union. I knew that life with Severus would always have its ups and downs, but despite any conflicts we might have in the future, and I had no doubt we'd have a few, I knew in my heart that I'd finally found the person I truly belonged with. For better and worse, forever and always, I was home.

**Author's Note:** The bonding rings used in the ceremony are magical constructs and do not contain real silver.


End file.
